Eco Businesses Can't Afford To Feel Guilty About Using A.I.
Instead They Can Shape A Better Future
You couldn’t imagine life without the internet now, could you? Or mobile phones? Well, Artificial Intelligence - AI- will soon have the same impact. Like it or not.
In fact, your business, charity or organisation might have disappeared from sight online already, without you even realising it.
It’s no longer enough to rank high on Google. We are now in the age of Artificial Intelligence - AI - and the question isn’t whether people can find you - it’s whether AI can quote you.
The phrase 'Google it' might stay around for a while, but however and wherever people search for information, they will no longer be presented with a list of websites, expecting you to trawl through and find the answer to your question.
It seems an obvious thing to do now, but AI search simply... answers your question.
Today, when someone asks ChatGPT, or maybe Perplexity, or Google’s AI-powered Search a question - maybe “What’s the best zero-waste laundry brand?” - the answer comes from trusted sources, real quotes and patterns learned from years of credible content.
That’s one comforting feature about AI search - there is no algorithm or paid adverts skewing the results.
AI will always seek to quote experts. And if you’re a green business or eco enterprise, YOU need to be seen as one of those experts in your own field.
AI quotes people and brands who have been featured or mentioned in high-trust media, and earned reputations as reliable voices.
If you're not being mentioned by others, especially in respected publications, then you're probably not being quoted in search results by AI.
AI will take over millions of jobs around the world over the next few years. Not a doubt about it. So it’s time to wake up. This video shows a lengthy debate from all sides - optimistic to terrified - but it’s a good one to bring you up to speed if you have time to watch it…
So What About The AI Energy Crisis?
What about it? It’s hardly even mentioned in the video above. Most conversations about AI relate to whether or not the robots will take over the world.
But concerns have indeed been raised among those who give a damn about the planet, because large language models and AI queries use significant amounts of energy - and where the electricity grid is powered by fossil fuels, that leads to significant CO2 emissions.
The International Energy Agency forecast that AI would require almost as much energy by the end of this decade as Japan uses today.
Data centres also use massive amounts of water for cooling servers - and where centres (or centers for my American friends) are in arid regions, such as Arizona and parts of Asia, this can put a strain on local resources.
The MIT Technology Review concluded that the real environmental burden lies in the AI training phase, with end‑user usage (individuals and businesses using the likes of ChatGPT) being relatively modest in comparison.
Viewing energy use in proportion to other sectors, AI's global electricity usage is still lower than that of aviation, heavy industry and even clothing industries.
Another argument often raised in its favour is that AI replaces many processes and practices that cause higher carbon footprints, from lengthy commutes to excess printing.
AI can also help to save energy. It can optimise logistics and reduce emissions - it’s a tool to help, depending on how thoughtfully it's used.
From my own work with SmartGrid innovators SNRG, I am also aware of how renewable energy can power large industrial sites without significantly impacting the local grid.
Solar or wind can feed a site, with excess power generated being stored in batteries, and used at times when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.
Already, many AI applications are being hosted on microgrids powered by solar or wind. And Google and Microsoft have pledged to power data operations with 100% renewable energy - if that promise means anything to you.
At least the technology is there to massively reduce the environmental impact of data centres running AI. It could even be close to net zero carbon by the end of the decade, if we could only put smart people in power…
Don’t Feel Guilty - Avoiding AI Will Leave You Behind
This is - like it or not - the simple truth. And I would not like to see green, ethical, sustainable businesses losing out because of a refusal to engage with AI tools out of environmental guilt. This would put them at a serious competitive disadvantage.
AI is becoming central to customer service, data analysis and marketing. And even if you decide not to use it to its full potential, you can’t ignore the fact that traditional Google search is pretty much dead - if you want your business to be found, you need to rethink your SEO strategies and start optimising for Google SGE and ChatGPT.
I want the best for sustainable companies - they’ve put themselves out there to make a meaningful difference, risking their bottom line and often surviving only through innovation.
The ethical disruptors need as much help as they can get.
If this describes you and your own enterprise, please don’t feel guilty - we need you, and the planet needs you. Allow AI to assist you in making an even more positive impact.
Get involved and shape best practices for everyone else. This is the time for planet-friendly people to lead the way.