Voices | Responsibility ioat / Shutterstock.com Balancing Innovation And Impact: The Environmental Trade-offs Of AI As more firms embrace AI and other high-efficiency tools, keep in mind both the exciting possibilities they offer and the unseen impacts they may carry. By Elizabeth Wimbush ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is reshaping industries around the world, and the promotional products industry is no exception. AI has become an invaluable tool, offering ways to work smarter, faster and with more precision. From predicting trends to streamlining operations, AI can help us reach new levels of efficiency. But as with any tool, it’s worth pausing to reflect on both the benefits and the trade-offs. As we adopt more high-efficiency tools, including AI, we might also unknowingly increase our environmental footprint. As the director of sustainability and responsibility at PPAI, I’d like to share a balanced view on AI’s environmental impact, considering both its benefits and its lesser-known costs. Together, we can embrace AI thoughtfully, ensuring it aligns with our sustainability goals and values. A Look At AI’s Energy Use One of AI’s most attractive qualities is its efficiency. AI can process data at speeds and volumes that humans can only dream of, helping us make better, faster decisions. But behind this seemingly effortless power is an often-overlooked cost: energy. Every time we train, update or even just use AI systems, we ask large data centers to run complex computations. These processes require a lot of energy, and, unfortunately, this energy doesn’t come without a footprint. McKinsey recently highlighted that data centers in the United States alone are expected to As we adopt more high-efficiency tools, including AI, we might also unknowingly increase our environmental footprint. 22 • JANUARY 2025 • PPAI
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