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AI won't use as much electricity as we are told (2024)

And it’s not a reason to slow transition to renewables

Predictions of this kind have been made ever since the emergence of the Internet as a central part of modern life, often tied to claims and counterclaims about the transition to renewable energy. But far from demanding more electricity personal computers have become more efficient with laptops mostly replacing large standalone boxes, and software improvements reducing waste. The simplest explanation, epitomised by the Forbes article from 1999, is that coal and gas producers want to claim that there is a continuing demand for their products, one that can’t be met by solar PV and wind.

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