How AI is Changing the Energy Game: What We Need to Know

AI is everywhere, helping us with everything from binge-watching our favourite Netflix shows to driving our Honda-Civics. But did you know that it’s also changing how we use and manage energy? 

It’s making things smarter and more efficient, but it also uses a lot of power itself.

As AI becomes more and more integrated into our daily lives, it’s important to understand both its benefits and its hidden energy costs of this tech, especially in Canada.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. AI Uses More Energy Than You Think

AI simplifies a lot of tasks, helps us do things faster, and even makes our technology smarter than it already was. But here’s the catch: it’s also consuming a ton of energy.

You might be surprised to learn that AI uses significantly more energy than other common online activities.

In fact, training a single AI model (process of teaching AI systems like ChatGPT to recognize patterns by feeding it massive amounts of data) can consume up to 10 times more energy than a single Google search.

This becomes a big concern given how frequently we are relying on AI-driven services. As AI continues to grow, its energy demand is likely to increase, which puts additional pressure on our electricity systems.

2. AI Makes Power Grids Smarter, But Requires More Energy

Ever had your lights flicker or go out during a storm? AI is helping prevent that by making Canada’s power grids smarter. In cities like Toronto and Vancouver,

AI is used to predict problems on the grid before they happen, so power can be restored quicker, and outages are less frequent. 

But there’s a catch: these AI systems require a lot of computing power to work, which means more energy is needed to run the systems that keep our lights on.

So, while AI makes our grids more reliable, it also adds to the overall demand for electricity.

3. AI Helps Buildings Save Energy, But Still Needs A Lot of Energy

Living here in Canada, we all know how expensive it can be to heat a home during the winter. AI is helping make buildings more energy-efficient by adjusting heating, lighting, and cooling based on real-time data.

For example, some buildings in Ontario are using AI to automatically reduce heating when rooms are empty or adjust lighting depending on the time of day.

Sounds great, right? But you guessed it, there’s a catch: these AI-powered systems rely on cloud computing and data centers, which need a lot of power to run.

So, while AI can save energy in buildings, it also adds to the overall energy demand.

Final Thoughts

AI is making life a lot easier and here at YCR, we’re all about it! But we can’t help but wonder: how much energy is all this tech actually using?

As more of us start using AI every day, we’ll need to figure out how to power these technologies in a way that doesn’t drain our resources.

It’s all about finding that sweet spot: enjoying the benefits of AI, like saving time and energy, while making sure it doesn’t end up using more power than it’s actually saving.

So, how do we make sure we’re getting the most out of AI without running our power systems dry?