The Problem

Artificial Intelligence (AI) growth has skyrocketed. In 2024, 78% of business organizations reported using AI, and in 2023, the FDA approved 223 AI-enabled medical devices (Stanford HAI). As AI becomes more affordable and accessible, it continues to expand into new industries and everyday applications.

However, the rapid growth of AI has raised concerns about its environmental consequences, particularly the energy and materials required to support large-scale systems. This research focuses on how energy consumption and physical hardware drive AI’s carbon footprint, and how a lack of data prevents a full understanding of AI’s potential environmental impact.