One big drawback of generative artificial intelligence is the vast energy and water that data centers use to power it. But AI also promises to save energy and fuel across industries such as transportation, manufacturing and building maintenance. Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University, tells us ... Show More
Jun 2024
Do we have enough energy to power AI?
Artificial Intelligence is something that’s all around us in our daily lives. And even if we do use it, whether that’s to search for a recipe online, make a funny photo, or ask it to help with our homework, every task that AI does uses power. That power is electricity. Around the ... Show More
22m 59s
Jun 2024
AI’s Insatiable Needs Wreak Havoc on Power Systems
AI data centers are huge energy black holes, consuming as much energy as 30,000 homes – and their rapid growth is straining global grids. The numbers are astonishing: Sweden could see power demand from data centers roughly double over the course of this decade. In the UK, AI is e ... Show More
14m 44s
Sep 2025
How AI impacts the environment (and your energy bill)
AI is the future, but how is its infrastructure impacting your air, water, and utilities bills today? You asked, and Brittany delivered. Many of you wrote in asking about artificial intelligence’s environmental impact. Brittany and Evan Halper, a business and energy reporter for ... Show More
20 m
Aug 2025
Does a single AI query use a bottle of water?
We’re living through boom-times for Artificial Intelligence, with more and more of us using AI assistants like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Grok and Copilot to do basic research and writing tasks. But what is the environmental impact of these technologies? Many listeners have got in touch ... Show More
8m 59s