AI: greenwashing nightmare or opportunity?

AI is the megatrend of the year

32% of IT partners believe AI poses a tremendous business opportunity for the next two years and claim “AI is the future!” according to an April 2024 Canalys quick poll. A further 21% see a significant opportunity and predict strong growth, while only 11% of the partner respondents report that they are not currently investing in AI. In short, most partners see the value in doubling down on AI products and services.

But this strong interest in AI creates an existential crisis for IT companies and organizations more broadly as they seek to cut carbon emissions. While the technology can offer sustainability advances, including climate risk modeling and disaster forecasting, AI is also a vast drain on electricity and water.

• Compute: according to OpenAI researchers, the amount of computational power needed to perform deep-learning research has doubled every 3.4 months since 2012.
• Water: a 2021 study demonstrated that a single medium-sized data center used as much water as at least three hospitals and a conversation with ChatGPT requires a standard-size bottle of water each and every time, largely due to the cooling needed to maintain data center hardware and servers.
• Energy: Ireland’s growing number of data centers consumed more electricity than all urban homes combined in 2023, equating to 21% of Ireland’s total electricity consumption.
• E-waste: the latest Canalys data shows that 14% of PCs shipped in Q2 2024 were AI PCs. A refresh cycle is in progress, with AI PC shipments forecast to surge to 44 million units in 2024 and 103 million units in 2025. But the world is currently producing five times more e-waste than any documented e-waste recycling – a sobering consideration as the AI PC refresh cycle gains momentum.

With these challenges and the broader social questions surrounding AI in mind, here are some of the questions that will be explored in the Canalys Forum Hubs under the title “AI: greenwashing nightmare or opportunity?”

• AI is the undisputed megatrend of the year. Do corporate sustainability commitments stand a chance in the face of the AI boom?
• AI can also help us fight climate change – what are the most powerful ways that AI will contribute to your emission reductions in the long term?
• Canalys data suggests customers are relying on partners to assist them in navigating and understanding AI. Are partners also playing a role in helping customers understand where AI and sustainability intersect?
• There have been plenty of headlines about the bias of AI training models. But are customers expressing concern about this, and how can you address these concerns (without being in control of these AI models)?
• AI has the power to fuel misinformation, in the form of deepfakes and fake news, for example. What must the international community do, and how can we ensure AI does not compromise the integrity of the AI industry?
• Let’s talk about solutions. What should companies be doing to minimize the impact of AI on sustainability – both social and environmental?

These Expert Hubs will prompt the panelists to be as concrete as possible in their predictions for the future – and proposed solutions on the intersection between AI and sustainability.

Clearly, significant investments need to be made – not only by vendors but also the broader IT ecosystem – including:

• Investments into energy-efficient AI hardware and software.
• The optimization of AI algorithms.
• The promotion of more responsible AI development and use.
• Support for research and innovation in sustainable AI.
• Advocating for government policies that promote sustainable AI.

If you are a channel partner keen to learn about AI and sustainability, we encourage you to register for the Canalys Forums 2024. These events will provide partners with the opportunity to learn more about the latest trends in AI and sustainability – addressing how they can swiftly adapt to meet the changing needs of their customers alongside top distributors and channel-committed vendors. May the force of sustainability and AI be with you! 

EMEA: 8-10 October, Berlin, Germany 
NORTH AMERICA: 22-24 October, Miami, Florida 
APAC: 3-5 December, Bali, Indonesia