UK DSIT and DESNZ disagree on AI centers' power use
Technology
The UK government can't agree on just how much electricity future AI data centers will use.
One department (DSIT) says they'll need a huge 6 GW by 2030, while another (DESNZ) thinks it'll be much less.
This back-and-forth has sparked criticism from campaigners like Tim Squirrell at Foxglove, who points out that the environmental impact is being overlooked.
DESNZ carbon plans exclude AI centers
DESNZ's carbon plans don't even single out AI data centers, even though their energy use is rising fast.
DSIT originally downplayed the emissions but later updated them to 34 to 123 MtCO2, or around 0.9-3.4% of the UK's projected total emissions over the 10-year period.
To tackle this, the AI Energy Council is now exploring cleaner options to power these growing tech hubs.