In 2023, Google and Microsoft, each consumed 24 terawatt hours (TWH) of electricity, far exceeding the annual consumption of Tunisia which amounts to 19 TWh. This striking comparison highlights the enormous energy appetite for American technological giants.
According to an analysis by Michael Thomas, quoted by Tom’s Hardware, the combined consumption of these two companies is equivalent to that of Azerbaijan, a country of more than 10 million inhabitants. In a global ranking, Google and Microsoft would be placed just behind Slovakia and Libya in terms of electricity consumption.
This excessive consumption is widely attributed to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, particularly energy -consuming technology. The training processes of AI algorithms require not only a significant amount of electricity, but also large amounts of water for infrastructure cooling.
Ironically, Google and Microsoft were committed to reducing their consumption by 2030 to reduce their environmental impact. However, the rapid emergence of the generative AI has changed these forecasts, resulting in a significant increase in their energy consumption and, consequently, their CO2 emissions.
