AI and the hidden climate cost of ‘dark data’

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, generative AI – as the latest ramification of the decades-long advances made in data analysis – stands out as a groundbreaking force, reshaping how businesses operate across various sectors. At its core, this innovation offers an unparalleled opportunity to harness the vast “hidden” reservoirs of data – documents, emails, images, and videos – that organizations have amassed over time.

By leveraging generative AI in the form of large language models (LLMs), businesses are now unlocking valuable insights and knowledge previously concealed within this digital treasure trove. The application of generative AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in areas such as marketing, customer service, and administrative tasks – significantly enhancing employee creativity and productivity by as much as 40%.

However, this technological advancement has its challenges. The considerable energy resources required for developing, training, and…