A study from the London School of Economics and Systemiq suggests it’s possible to cut global carbon emissions without giving up modern comforts—with AI as our ally in the climate fight.
According to the duo’s research, smart AI applications in just three industries could slash greenhouse gas emissions by 3.2-5.4 billion tonnes each year by 2035.
In contrast to much of what we’ve heard, these reductions would far outweigh the carbon that AI itself produces.
The study, ‘Green and intelligent: the role of AI in the climate transition,’ doesn’t just see AI as a tool for small improvements. Instead, it could help transform our entire economy into something sustainable and inclusive.
Net-zero as an opportunity, not a burden
The researchers suggest we should see the shift to a net-zero economy not as a burden but as “a great opportunity for innovation and sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economic growth.”
They focused on three of the major carbon culprits – power generation, meat and dairy production, and passenger vehicles – which together cause almost half of global emissions. The potential AI savings from just these sectors would more than cancel out the estimated 0.4 to 1.6 billion tonnes of annual emissions from running all those AI data centers.
As the authors put it, “the case for using AI for the climate transition is not only strong but imperative.”