Page 48 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and

Clean Energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all

SDG 7 is the only goal where no targets are regressing,
and 2 out of 5 targets are currently on track. 247 However,
despite this progress, most energy consumed globally is
still derived from non-renewable sources, and hundreds
of millions of people remain unconnected to the energy
grid. 248 According to the UN, at the current rate, 660 million
people will still lack electricity, and 1.8 billion will not have
access to clean cooking fuels and technologies by 2030. 249

AI and SDG 7 Impact
According to a study on the impact of AI on
The relationship between SDG 7 and AI presents a paradox. While SDG 7. AI could act as an (positive) enabler
AI has the potential to contribute to the achievement of SDG 7, its for 100% of the targets and act as an inhibi-
substantial energy requirements pose a significant challenge to this tor (negative) for 40% of the targets. (Nature
Communications, 2020)
Goal. 250 There are numerous AI UN use cases that align with SDG 7
objectives, in the various repositories: 4 use cases out of 40 in AI for Use case 1
Using AI to optimize the supply and
Good: Innovate for Impact, 251 and approximately 50 use cases out demand of the energy grid to improve effi-
of 408 in the UN Activities on AI. 252 AI use cases for energy include ciency and minimize waste.
the development of a smart grid, where energy can be optimized to
enhance system efficiency and reduce energy waste. 253 Addition-
ally, AI can be used in data management processes to minimize the
energy required for specific tasks or schedule them at times when
less energy is needed. 254 This is critical as data storage is projected
to contribute to 14% of the world's emissions by 2040. 255 AI can play
a crucial role in exploring new energy solutions and materials, such
as driving advancements in nuclear fusion 256 and identifying more
efficient photovoltaic materials. 257 Furthermore, AI can optimize the
production of renewable energy, addressing the unpredictability of link
sources like wind and solar power. 258 Use case 2
Implementing AI solutions for data centers
The adoption of AI technology has led to a significant increase in to reduce the overall energy impact of data
energy consumption.. AI servers, if operating at full capacity, would processing or storing.
consume at least 85.4 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, surpass-
ing the annual energy usage of many small countries. 259 Using this
large quantity of energy could make it a challenge to achieve the
targets related to SDG 7. This substantial energy demand poses a
challenge to achieving the targets of SDG 7, particularly impacting
poorer communities' access to affordable energy 260 and their ability
to prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels.
Key Considerations for Stakeholders
link
• Impact assessment: Align AI use case development and Use case 3
incentives with OECD AI principles to maximize sustainable Focusing on AI solutions to develop more
value creation. 261 The objective is to prioritize governmental efficient materials for energy production,
tools for AI use cases related to the SDGs. such as photovoltaic cells.
• Technology improvement: Prioritizing technologies with
lower energy requirements is crucial to support the develop-
ment of SDG 7 by reducing overall energy consumption. 262

link

38