The question at hand explores the balance of power between mankind and the technological advancements we have created, wrestling with the possibility of humanity's dominance or eventual subjugation to our own inventions.
In the digital age we live in, the impact of AI and technology on our environment and daily lives is becoming increasingly evident. Every day, approximately 402.74 million terabytes of data are generated, with video content on the internet contributing significantly to the environmental impacts. By 2025, streaming video is projected to account for approximately 4% of total global carbon emissions, double that of the aviation sector.
The environmental costs stem from data centers powering video transmission and storage, network infrastructure, device energy use, digital infrastructure cooling, and processing. Unwatched videos and playing music videos without viewing the screen further amplify this waste. Key environmental impacts include high electricity consumption often derived from fossil fuels, substantial carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, and wasteful use of hardware and network resources.
The digital content supply chain's fragmentation complicates accountability, but the burden is shared by tech companies and end users, who typically stream at unnecessarily high resolutions or leave videos running without direct attention.
To mitigate the growing carbon footprint of video streaming, several solutions are proposed:
- Digital Sobriety and User Awareness: Encouraging mindful use of streaming technologies, such as lowering streaming quality, avoiding playing videos unnecessarily, and turning off screens when content is not actively viewed, can cut emissions significantly.
- Technological Innovations: New video compression and delivery techniques like Pixel Value Reduction (PVR) can reduce energy consumption by lowering pixel brightness and hardware energy use without major quality loss, particularly useful for live events.
- Adoption of Renewable Energy: Data centers and streaming platforms shifting to renewable energy sources or regions with cleaner energy mixes reduce the carbon footprint per hour of streamed video drastically.
- Industry Commitments and Transparency: Major technology and media companies must commit to net zero goals, improve transparency about their carbon footprints, and invest in low-carbon infrastructure and processes.
- Optimizing Streaming Practices: Prioritizing quality over quantity by reducing unnecessary high-resolution streaming and encouraging mobile and smaller screen viewing can lower overall demand.
In the realm of healthcare, AI is making strides in automating administrative tasks, freeing up time for doctors to focus on their patients. For instance, the AI solution Sinapse, used at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital in Latvia, can detect strokes in 93% of cases with a processing time of approximately 15 seconds. Sinapse has processed over 1,000 cases in less than a year and has improved its accuracy by 13% during this time.
Similarly, AI solutions in education can reduce teachers' administrative workload by up to 70%. By automating tasks, these solutions provide more time for personalised attention to students, fostering a more engaging learning environment.
As the number of smart devices per household continues to grow—with an average U.S. household now using 21 smart devices, European households - 10, and Latvian households - up to 7—the importance of managing data efficiently becomes even more crucial. It is projected that by 2025, the total volume of data will reach 181 zettabytes.
The advancement of technology is not just an issue for IT professionals; it is a future that we are shaping. By making conscious choices in our daily use of technology and embracing innovative solutions, we can strike a balance between technological progress and environmental preservation. AI and technology can free up space for creativity, empathy, and meaningful conversations, ultimately enriching our lives in ways we have yet to fully realise.
- In the efforts to minimize the carbon footprint of media and technology, embracing digital sobriety and user awareness is crucial, such as lowering streaming quality, avoiding unnecessarily playing videos, and turning off screens when content is not actively viewed, as these actions can significantly cut emissions.
- As we continue to adopt and rely on data-and-cloud-computing solutions, optimizing practices like prioritizing quality over quantity by reducing unnecessary high-resolution streaming and encouraging mobile and smaller screen viewing can lower overall demand, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly use of technology.