Why in the News? 

Google is in the news due to its recent annual environment report, which revealed a 13% increase in its emissions footprint for 2023 compared to the previous year.

Why Emissions are higher?

• Increased Electricity Consumption: Google reported a 13% increase in its emissions footprint in 2023, primarily due to a 17% rise in electricity consumption in its data centres.
• Energy-Intensive AI Operations: AI models require significantly more computational power than traditional searches, leading to higher energy consumption. For instance, a single AI query can use 10 to 33 times more energy than a standard Google search.
• Cooling Demands: The increased workload from AI operations generates more heat, necessitating stronger cooling systems in data centers leading to a high demand of water.

Indian Scenario

• Growing Demand for Data Centers: As AI and data center deployment increases in India, the environmental impact, particularly in terms of electricity and water consumption, is expected to rise.
• Water Resource Strain: Data centers require significant water for cooling. For example, a data center serving OpenAI’s GPT-4 model reportedly consumed 6% of its district’s water supply in Iowa, highlighting there could be potential challenges in water-scarce regions like India.
• Need for Sustainable Practices: The experts advise the importance of planning AI and data center expansion in India to minimize environmental impacts. Companies must adopt efficient processes to reduce their emissions footprint.

The initiative taken by Govt to regulate AI

• National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence: In 2018, NITI Aayog released a discussion paper outlining India’s National Strategy for AI.
• Draft Personal Data Protection Bill: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released a draft Personal Data Protection Bill in 2019 which had provisions related to data used for AI systems.
• Ethical AI Principles: In 2021, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released a set of “Ethical AI Principles” as part of India’s AI governance framework
• Regulatory Sandbox for AI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created a regulatory sandbox to test AI applications in the financial sector.
• AI Skilling and Research: The government has launched initiatives like the National AI Portal, AI Hackathons, and AI Research, Analytics and Knowledge Assimilation (AIRAWAT) to promote AI research and skills in the country.

Alternatives for Government Action (Way Forward) 

• Promote Energy Efficiency: The government can encourage data centers to adopt energy-efficient technologies and practices. This includes optimizing cooling systems and utilizing renewable energy sources to power operations.
• Regulatory Framework: Need to implement regulations that require data centres to report their energy and water consumption can help monitor and manage their environmental impact.
• Investment in Renewable Energy: The government should promote the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, to power data centers.
• Research and Development: Government should support R&D in sustainable AI technologies and energy-efficient data processing can help mitigate the environmental impact of AI deployment.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: The need to educate businesses and the public about the environmental impacts of AI and data centres can foster more sustainable practices and encourage responsible usage of technology.

Mains PYQ: 

Q The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Digital Revolution) has initiated e-Governance as an integral part of government”. Discuss  (UPSC IAS/2020)

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