Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often hailed as a tool that can help us solve some of the world’s most pressing problems—from diagnosing diseases to predicting natural disasters. But as AI becomes more powerful, we’re also starting to ask some tough questions: What is the environmental cost of all this “intelligence”? Can AI be both the cause of and solution to climate change?

The Energy-Hungry Brain of AI

Training an AI model—especially large ones like ChatGPT or image generators—requires massive computing power, often running on thousands of powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) in data centres. These machines consume an enormous amount of electricity, often sourced from fossil fuels.

But energy is only part of the story. Did you know that training a single AI model can consume as much water as producing hundreds of smartphones? That’s because data centres use water to cool servers down, especially in hotter regions or during peak loads.

So while AI may live in the cloud, its environmental footprint is very much on the ground.

Could AI Be Reimagined Through a Circular Lens?

This is where the idea of a circular approach becomes exciting. Circular thinking means designing systems to reuse, recycle, and regenerate resources—in contrast to the current linear model of “take-make-dispose.”

What might this look like in the world of AI?

• Smart energy routing: AI systems can be trained to self-monitor and switch to renewable energy sources when they’re available, or to process workloads during off-peak times when energy is cleaner and cheaper.

• Model recycling: Instead of constantly building new models from scratch, researchers are exploring ways to retrain or fine-tune existing models, dramatically reducing the energy and resources needed.

• Green data centres: Could we power AI with waste heat or recycled water? In some regions, innovative cooling systems using reclaimed water or even submersion cooling are helping to cut waste.

• Carbon-aware computing: AI can be integrated with carbon tracking tools that flag when models are emitting more CO₂ than they should—essentially creating a kind of environmental conscience for algorithms.

A Tool That Teaches Us to Think Differently

Perhaps the most powerful role AI can play in the fight against climate change is psychological. It can help us model complex systems, simulate outcomes, and uncover hidden patterns in climate data—something humans struggle to do on their own.

For example:

• AI is helping farmers predict droughts and optimise irrigation.

• It’s being used to track deforestation from satellite images.

• Even the fashion industry is using AI to reduce waste in supply chains.

But to truly “close the loop,” we must also rethink how we build, use, and discard AI systems. Just because an algorithm can do something doesn’t mean it should—especially if it costs us a planet in the process.

What We’re Doing at CBISS

At the Centre for Business Innovations and Sustainable Solutions (CBISS), we work with businesses and industries not only to integrate AI into their sustainability strategies, but also to rethink AI’s own environmental impact.

We’re helping organisations explore how to close the loop on AI consumption—by promoting circular thinking, designing low-impact digital systems, and adopting more responsible AI development and deployment practices.

If your business is exploring AI solutions and wants to ensure they’re part of a sustainable future, we’d love to talk.

👉 Connect with CBISS to learn more and collaborate here

Together, we can harness AI not just to solve climate change—but to do so responsibly.