In the future, historians will look back on November 23, 2022 as the day humanity secured its future or sealed its destiny. It was the day OpenAI launched ChatGPT. In the two years since, some of the world’s largest companies have invested billions in artificial intelligence (AI). Executives predicted that AI would improve efficiency, increase productivity, reduce costs, relieve workers of tedious tasks, and spur economic growth. But at what cost?
A 2023 study by Cornell University revealed that ChatGPT uses almost 500 ml of water for 50 prompts. Research carried out by Goldman Sachs also found that ChatGPT requires almost 10 times more electricity than the Google search engine to process a query. Currently, the world’s data centers consume between 1 and 2 percent of overall global energy consumption, but this share is expected to rise to 3 to 4 percent by the end of the decade as the The use of AI is increasing.
If these predictions come true, carbon emissions from data centers could double by 2030meaning businesses will surely fail to meet the UK government’s legal target of reaching net zero by 2050. Despite this, the integration of AI into businesses is on an unstoppable rise. In a survey carried out in 2024 by Global dataapproximately 27% of companies report a high adoption rate of AI in their workload processes. This is up from just 10% in November 2023.
A greener future
As AI is here to stay and corporate sustainability goals are enshrined in UK law, leaders are faced with an undeniable realization: the need for change is paramount. But it’s not all bad news for those working toward a sustainable, tech-driven world.
In fact, in the future, AI could be used in several ways to support companies’ sustainability efforts. Take for example carbon accounting, the process of measuring and tracking the amount of greenhouse gases produced by an organization.
This currently requires leaders to tackle complex calculations to produce accurate and up-to-date figures. But AI could help create smarter, more effective readings. Energy trading, that is, the buying and selling of energy commodities, could also be improved with AI, allowing companies to manage price volatility and save money. ‘money.
But it is the algorithms themselves, which constitute the brains of data centers, that must be targeted for AI to have a sustainable future. “The training phase of machine learning models requires enormous amounts of energysaid Sheila Rohra, CEO of Hitachi Vantara, a global leader in creating advanced data infrastructure, intelligent data management and AI-powered hybrid cloud solutions for businesses.
“If businesses regularly adapt these models to adapt to their changing needs, their energy needs will be substantial and long-term. This simply won’t be sustainable with their ESG goals. We need to readjust algorithms so that they require less recycling and energy consumption.
Smarter algorithms, housed in energy-efficient data storage platforms, can enable leaders to quickly decarbonize their data centers. As a result, organizations can arm themselves with the AI-driven insights they need to decarbonize their broader operations and achieve their sustainability goals.
Sustainability powered by AI
But focusing on a single solution will not be enough to achieve sustainable AI. Instead, Hitachi Vantara is using a broader, AI-driven strategy to identify inefficiencies across companies’ operations. Its AI discovery service generates data-driven insights to inform key business decisions. This includes helping to create predictive models to optimize processes, reduce costs and improve operational efficiency, particularly in areas such as manufacturing, logistics and energy management.
With AI here to stay and corporate sustainability goals enshrined in UK law, the need for change is paramount
Rohra says the AI discovery service is already helping customers overcome several common sustainability bottlenecks. “Some companies don’t have the expertise and specialist knowledge to transition to more energy-efficient operations,” she says. “They may also be reluctant to invest large sums of money upfront in new energy-saving technologies. AI can simplify this process by providing intelligent insights into short- and long-term sustainability and operational benefits and reducing costs.
Organizations are already benefiting from these AI-driven insights. Infosys managed to reduce its electricity and air conditioning costs by 60% by using Hitachi Vantara technology in its data centers. It achieved this while still running applications up to 90% faster than before. The organization also completed a seamless storage migration for BMW Groupwhich reduced the carbon footprint by 70% and created a data center requiring 80% less energy, all without disrupting business operations.
Decarbonize data centers
Another crucial part of making technology sustainable globally is the decarbonization of data centers. Despite the increasing energy consumption of data centers, Rohra strongly believes that technology can also be part of the sustainable solution. Hitachi Vantara is on a mission to help businesses achieve sustainable AI and has set its own ambitious goal: to become carbon neutral in terms of direct and indirect emissions by 2030.
“We understand that it has to start with us,” says Rohra. “Transparency is key to inspiring confidence in our ESG commitments and we are proud to say that our technology has one of the lowest carbon footprints compared to other data infrastructure providers. She says it is possible for businesses to increase AI adoption sustainably with the right infrastructure in place. “We are able to provide systems and solutions that can really help other businesses become more energy efficient,” she adds.
Hitachi Vantara helps businesses decarbonize their data centers through the adoption of energy-efficient data storage technology. Its One Block virtual storage platform has been shown to reduce data center power consumption by 30-40%. This also won the three best rankings for the “best storage solutions available” through Energy Star® certification. Gijima, a South African information and communications technology company, deployed the platform to consolidate its physical infrastructure, which leads to a 66% reduction in electricity consumption and a reduction in CO2 emissions.
The journey towards sustainable AI is not without challenges, but it is also full of opportunities. By prioritizing smarter algorithms, energy-efficient infrastructure and holistic strategies, businesses can balance technological advancements with environmental responsibility. The future of AI does not have to come at the expense of the planet. If innovation goes hand in hand with action, sustainability can thrive alongside progress.
For more information, please visit hitachivantara.com