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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1525170
Globally, the total number of days above 50°C has increased in each decade since 1980. July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded. Extreme heat translates to health impacts on local populations. A Lancet 2022 study found that even a 1°C increase in temperature is positively associated with increased mortality and morbidity. On days of extreme heat, air conditioning can save lives. Data centres also like to keep cool, so their power use will spike with the temperature, raising the risk of blackouts and instability in electricity grids. What’s next? So what now? As we have seen, tech companies are increasingly aware of the issue. How is that translating into action? When we surveyed Australian sustainability professionals in July 2023, we found only 6% believed data centre operators provided detailed sustainability data. Earlier this year we surveyed IT managers in Australia and New Zealand to ask what they thought about how AI applications are driving increased energy use. We found 72% are already adopting or piloting AI technologies. More than two-thirds (68%) said they were concerned about increased energy consumption for AI needs. However, there is also significant uncertainty about the size of the increase. Many IT managers also lack the necessary skills to adequately address these sustainability impacts, regardless of corporate sustainability commitments. Education and training for IT managers to understand and address the sustainability impacts of AI is urgently required. Image by knssr, Adobe Stock