Powering AI, Heating Earth

The numbers should give anyone pause. Data centres worldwide consumed approximately 415 terawatt hours of electricity in 2024, representing about 1.5 per cent of global electricity consumption, according to the International Energy Agency. By 2030, that figure is projected to reach 945 terawatt hours, nearly doubling in just six years. The culprit driving much of this growth has a familiar name: artificial intelligence. The same technology that promises to optimise our energy grids, monitor defo...