Google has been utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in six different ways to support climate action. The company recognizes the balance between creating AI services for sustainability while also acknowledging the significant energy and water requirements. In the past seven years, Google has developed an AI-powered recommendation system to enhance the energy efficiency of its optimized data centers. This is just one example of how AI has enabled Google to reduce energy consumption and transition to renewable electricity sources. Google's annual environmental report highlights the company's commitment to leveraging AI in various climate action tools. These tools range from predicting floods and wildfires to calculating emissions associated with transportation routes and detecting changes in biodiversity. By applying AI to these challenges, Google aims to help people live more sustainably and adapt to climate change. Moreover, Google is actively working to reduce energy use and emissions from AI computing in its data centers. Jeff Dean, chief scientist for Google DeepMind and Google Research, acknowledges the growing demand for AI workloads and stresses the importance of making AI computing more efficient. Google researchers have already made significant progress in reducing the energy required to train AI models by up to 100 times and emissions by up to 1, 000 times. They plan to continue these efforts and develop new methods for enhancing AI efficiency. However, Google also acknowledges the need to mitigate the environmental footprint of AI models, as it is not just electricity consumption that poses a challenge. Water consumption has increased alongside the expansion of data centers to support AI technologies. In 2022 alone, Google consumed 5. 6 billion gallons of water globally.

Although Google committed to replenishing 120 percent of its freshwater consumption by 2030, it has only managed to replenish 6 percent of its water consumption as of 2022. The scarcity of water replenishment projects is one of the challenges highlighted in their report. Despite these challenges, Google is dedicating a significant portion of its AI capabilities to address various aspects of the climate crisis. For instance, the Nest thermostat leverages machine learning to adjust settings based on weather predictions, occupancy schedules, and power mixes, leading to substantial energy reductions. Google Maps offers an eco-friendly routing option that helps drivers choose the route that minimizes fuel or battery consumption. Additionally, Google has developed tools like the Freshwater Ecosystems Explorer and the Environmental Insights Explorer to provide valuable climate-related information, including water stewardship strategies and tree coverage assessments. Google is also exploring AI applications for traffic optimization, flood predictions, and wildfire management. These initiatives utilize satellite imagery and AI analysis to provide data, insights, and forecasts to support emergency responders and local communities. Google's commitment to sustainability extends beyond using AI externally. The company leverages AI to optimize its own sustainability operations, such as the running of cloud computing tasks on the most carbon-efficient electricity sources. Google's efforts have resulted in a 76 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of its revenue since 2011. The company has taken significant steps to improve its sustainability, including changes to its Scope 3 carbon accounting methodology. Google's extensive use of AI to support climate action demonstrates how technology can be harnessed to address environmental challenges. However, the company acknowledges the importance of continuously reducing the environmental impact of AI models and finding innovative solutions in the pursuit of a more sustainable future.