AI Will Boost Oil More Than Green Energy
AI Will Boost Oil More Than Green Energy
The News
A new peer-reviewed study finds artificial intelligence is likely to do more to boost fossil fuel production than it does to advance green energy.
The research concludes AI could increase recoverable oil and gas reserves by about 5% and cut the cost of deepwater projects by roughly 10%.
The authors argue the resulting climate impact could far outweigh the technology's benefits for renewables.
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Much of the debate over AI and the climate has focused on the electricity that data centers consume.
This study, published in the journal Nature, points to a second channel: AI making it cheaper and easier to find and pump more oil and natural gas.
By lowering costs and unlocking additional reserves, the technology could drive up production — and emissions — even as it also helps optimize wind, solar and grid systems.
Reactions
The study's authors say the added oil and gas output enabled by AI could produce a climate impact that outweighs the gains AI delivers for clean energy.
The findings have stoked an ongoing debate over how the technology will ultimately affect greenhouse gas emissions, with coverage spanning outlets from The Guardian and Axios to the Financial Times.
What's Next
Expect the study to feed into wider arguments over AI's energy footprint as companies race to expand data centers and oil producers adopt the same tools.
Watch for responses from energy firms and climate researchers weighing the trade-off between AI's fossil fuel gains and its renewable benefits.
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