Bill Gates Says AI’s Green Benefits Will Outweigh Its Emissions

Billionaire climate tech investor Bill Gates said artificial intelligence will “pay for itself” when it comes to its associated greenhouse gas emissions as the technology will help push forward the energy transition.

AI will make data centers more efficient, helping them represent a smaller share of future power demand, he said in a Bloomberg TV interview. Gates said the technology may one day use as much as 6% of global electricity — more than the estimated 2% today — but felt estimates above 10% were wrong.

Gates’ comments come after AI has received increased scrutiny amid expectations that it will dramatically raise energy ...