Artificial Intelligence is accelerating global innovation—but its environmental footprint is rising at an alarming pace. A new report urges a shift toward Sustainable AI, calling for technology that advances without compromising the planet.
AI workloads are projected to make up over half of global data-centre energy use by 2028, intensifying concerns around electricity demand, water consumption for cooling, and mounting e-waste. The report contrasts “Red AI”—performance-driven and resource-heavy—with “Green AI,” which prioritises efficiency and environmental accountability.
Green AI evaluates impact across four key areas: energy use, carbon emissions, water footprint, and resource depletion linked to hardware. To address these challenges, the report recommends:
• Sustainable-by-design development
Using efficient coding, smaller task-specific models, and transparent reporting.
• Greener infrastructure
Improved cooling, renewable-aligned workload scheduling, and energy-proportional computing.
• Circular tech practices
Reducing data redundancy, optimising storage, and extending hardware lifespan to cut e-waste.
Despite its footprint, AI also offers major sustainability benefits—from climate modelling and smart energy grids to precision agriculture and improved waste systems. The key is ensuring innovation doesn’t outpace environmental safeguards.
For India, where digital growth and climate goals are converging, Sustainable AI offers a pathway to low-carbon, resource-efficient progress.
The message is clear: AI must grow responsibly. Sustainable AI isn’t a constraint—it’s the blueprint for a greener digital future.
