Can we afford to power AI? episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 5, 2025 · 25 MIN

Can we afford to power AI?

from If You're Listening · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

In the last decade, the number of data centres worldwide has doubled. As the tech bros spend big to render AI an irreplaceable part of our everyday lives, the energy and water required is truly eye-watering. Nvidia, Google, Microsoft and Meta have already seen their cumulative emissions rise by 72% in the last five years, and given the direction AI is headed, it’s likely that our AI footprint today is the smallest it will ever be. Hundreds of millions of people are using AI every day - and that number is growing fast, but is a world with widely available AI actually sustainable? Follow If You're Listening on the ABC Listen app.Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Nov 5, 2025

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Can we afford to power AI?

0:00 25:24

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of If You're Listening?

This episode is 25 minutes long.

When was this If You're Listening episode published?

This episode was published on November 5, 2025.

Can I download this If You're Listening episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!