AI Might Pollute Less Than It Prevents — If We Don’t Screw It Up

Yes, AI eats up a ton of power — but it could still be climate’s secret weapon. A new study from the Grantham Research Institute says AI could actually slash 5.4 billion tons of emissions per year by 2035 — if we point it in the right direction. That’s more than it’s expected to emit.

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How? Think smarter energy forecasting, turbocharged EVs, and even AI-designed alt-meats that taste like the real thing. From power grids to protein, AI could clean house across energy, transport, and food. But here’s the catch: if governments don’t step in, AI could just end up supercharging oil rigs instead of solar panels.

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Used right, AI could be climate’s MVP. Used wrong, it’s just another gas-guzzler with a fancy algorithm.