Government urged to prioritise AI sustainability

Led by the Royal Academy of Engineering – alongside BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT, and the Institution of Engineering and technology - the Engineering Responsible AI report urged government to ensure that tech companies accurately account for the energy and water their data centres are using.

The proliferation of AI has raised serious concerns over the resources needed to meet its computing demands, with gains in renewable energy and drinking water reservoirs potentially under threat. According to the NEPC, both Google and Microsoft have reported year-on-year increases in data centre water consumption since 2020, with much of this coming from drinking water sources. In an effort to meet AI’s rising energy demands, some tech companies are looking to SMRs to power new data centres while maintaining their climate commitments.

“In recent years advances in AI systems and services has largely been driven by a race for size scale, demanding increasing amounts of computational power,” said Nottingham University’s Professor Tom Rodden, chair of the report’s working group. 

“As a result, AI systems and services are growing at a rate unparalleled by other high energy systems – and generally without much regard for resource efficiency. This is a dangerous trend, and we face a real risk that our development, deployment and use of AI could do irreparable damage to the environment.

“To build systems and services that effectively use resource, we first need to effectively monitor their environmental cost. Once we have access to trustworthy data pertaining to their environmental impacts, and a sense for where these services and systems are needed, we can begin to effectively target efficiency in development, deployment, and use - and plan a sustainable AI future for the UK.”

The report outlines five key steps that can be taken to enhance sustainability and promote the UK as a leader in AI efficiency:

1. Expanding environmental reporting mandates
2. Providing information on environmental impacts of AI systems across the value chain
3. Setting environmental sustainability requirements for data centres​
4. Reconsidering data collection, transmission, storage, and management practices
5. Leading the way with government investment

"AI’s use has surged in the past two years, aiding daily tasks and boosting productivity and innovation. However, many are unaware of the significant costs and environmental impacts – recent IET research has shown that less than one in six people in the UK are aware of this,” said IET Fellow Professor Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at Southampton University and CEO of Responsible AI UK. 

“AI providers must be transparent about these effects. If we cannot measure it, we cannot manage it, nor ensure benefits for all. This report's recommendations will aid national discussions on the sustainability of AI systems and the trade-offs involved.”