Former Google CEO says AI will solve the climate issue, 'we're not organized to do it'

"We're not going to hit the climate goals anyway because we're not organized to do it." That's former Google CEO Eric Schmidt responding to a question about the rise in energy consumption due to the AI boom at SCSP's inaugural AI+Energy Summit.

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AI is putting a strain on energy grids everywhere due to the sheer amounts of power required to run complex generative AI systems, so it's a definite issue.

Eric Schmidt's response is somewhat cynical but indicative of the debate surrounding how governments, corporations, and people everywhere should be dealing with climate change and its potentially devastating impacts. His response wasn't simply a shoulder shrug, as Schmidt confirmed that energy concerns surrounding AI "will be a problem."

However, if humans cannot tackle the issue meaningfully or 'solve the climate problem,' then you can probably guess who or what might. Yep, AI.

"Yes, the needs in this area will be a problem," Eric Schmidt added. "But I'd rather bet on AI solving the problem than constraining it." This is a roundabout way of saying that the energy and climate crisis will only increase as more and more are invested in AI. However, this presents a unique opportunity for AI to be harnessed in a way that can ultimately benefit humanity.

This probably means that he's in favor of dropping climate goals and targets for companies like Google that are heavily invested in AI and having them adopt a 'fight fire with fire' approach that goes all in on AI with the expectation that it can be harnessed to come up with a solution that worlds for everyone.

Also, with the economics of rising power bills and energy costs, it makes sense to make energy consumption at every level more efficient and cost-effective. "The economics will drive it anyway," Schmidt concluded. "No large company wants to have a huge power bill. Most people I've talked with say [the] power bill is becoming a very large component of their expenses."

Or, take the Microsoft route and go nuclear. You can watch the full fireside chat with Dr. Eric Schmidt below.