Why AI is a disaster for the climate

Amid all the hysteria about ChatGPT and co, one thing is being missed: how energy-intensive the technology is

• John Naughton
• The Guardian

What to do when surrounded by people who are losing their minds about the Newest New Thing?

Answer: reach for the Gartner Hype Cycle, an ingenious diagram that maps the progress of an emerging technology through five phases: the “technology trigger”, which is followed by a rapid rise to the “peak of inflated expectations”; this is succeeded by a rapid decline into the “trough of disillusionment”, after which begins a gentle climb up the “slope of enlightenment” – before eventually (often years or decades later) reaching the “plateau of productivity”…

• Why AI is a…