Dr. Ciarán Seoighe:

I might start on that. There is research being done in Ireland and globally. This is not a specifically Irish problem; it is a global problem. The challenge is the level of power consumption when we are doing this kind of processing for the likes of ChatGPT. In the context of training and in other ways, there is major energy consumption. There are a few things that people are focusing on. We have to look at the efficiency of the algorithms or the transforms. This is where the research comes in. At the risk of being a research hammer where everything is a research nail, we look to find these solutions. The transforms and algorithms could be much more efficient and, as a result, we could process a lot faster. That is coming. There is also research on the efficiency and improvement of the chips used and the energy consumption in that regard. A third element would be around how we reuse the heat. Part of the problem is that heat is generated. It is a new issue as well. They get hot and we need to dissipate the heat. Can we use the heat effectively in other areas? Having fully renewable, proper sources of renewable energy driving the centres in the first place is the fourth element.

The Deputy is quite right that it sounds like it is going into the cloud and getting done somewhere else, but it does have a global impact on the carbon footprint aspect and on energy usage.

If one were to take the progress that had been made over the past 18 months or so, extrapolate forward and assume the same levels of growth and so forth, it would quickly get to the point where AI would consume more electricity than the planet generated. Obviously, that is not a sustainable trajectory that we would be on. Things have to change before then.

Those four areas are probably key areas of research where there will be focus nationally and internationally.