Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing our lives in unprecedented ways. Whether for better or worse, the AI genie is out of the bottle. While businesses have utilized various forms of AI for decades, it has now permeated everyday life, becoming a tool accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

The internet has harnessed AI not only to boost productivity but also for a myriad of creative applications. But for every iteration of Harry Potter timelines comes at a hidden cost. It’s a burden that has existed since the dawn of computing: the escalating energy demands of the digital age.

This critical requirement rarely makes headlines. Would our behavior change if we knew that the energy required for a single Google search could power a lightbulb for 17 seconds? Multiply that by 99,000 search queries every second and 8.5 billion searches per day, and you begin to grasp the massive energy consumption. In fact, the carbon footprint of the cloud surpasses that of the airline industry.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, the most commonly used by the average user, are particularly energy-intensive, consuming about 33 times more energy than machines running task-specific software. With the increasing prevalence of these tools, how will we manage the growing energy demands and their impact on the climate?

One potential solution is the implementation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This technology is already in use in China and Russia, and Alberta has begun the process of adopting it in Canada. If Canada aims to remain a leader in the AI space, it must also consider sustainable and renewable energy sources to support this growth.