
AI isn't just about building smarter machines. It's about building a greener world.
From optimizing energy use to reducing emissions, AI and accelerated computing are helping industries tackle some of the world's toughest environmental challenges.
As Joshua Parker, senior director of corporate sustainability at NVIDIA, explains in the latest episode of NVIDIA's AI Podcast, these technologies are powering a new era of energy efficiency.
Parker, a seasoned sustainability professional with a background in law and engineering, has led sustainability initiatives at major companies like Western Digital, where he developed corporate sustainability strategies. His expertise spans corporate sustainability, intellectual property and environmental impact.
The AI Podcast NVIDIA's Josh Parker on How AI and Accelerated Computing Drive Sustainability Ep. 233
AI can, in fact, help reduce energy consumption. And it's doing it in some surprising ways.
AI systems themselves use energy, of course, but the big story is how AI and accelerated computing are helping other systems save energy. Take data centers, for instance.
They're the backbone of AI, housing the powerful systems that crunch the data needed for AI to work in services like chatbots, AI-powered search and content generation. Globally, data centers account for about 2% of total energy consumption, and AI-specific centers represent only a tiny fraction of that.
AI still accounts for a tiny, tiny fraction of overall energy consumption globally, Parker said. Yet, the potential for AI to optimize energy use is vast.
Despite this, AI's real superpower lies in its ability to optimize.
How? By using accelerated computing platforms that combine GPUs and CPUs. GPUs are designed to handle complex computations quickly and efficiently.
In fact, these systems can be up to 20x more energy-efficient than traditional CPU-only systems for AI inference and training, Parker notes.
This progress has contributed to massive gains in energy efficiency over the past eight years, which is part of the reason AI is now able to tackle increasingly complex problems.
What Is Accelerated Computing? At its core, accelerated computing is about doing more with less.
It involves using specialized hardware - like GPUs - to perform tasks faster and with less energy.
This isn't just theoretical. The change in efficiency is really, really dramatic, Parker emphasized.
If you compare the energy efficiency for AI inference from eight years ago until today, [it's] 45,000 times more energy efficient, Parker said.
This matters because as AI becomes more widespread, the demand for computing power grows.
Accelerated computing helps companies scale their AI operations without consuming massive amounts of energy.
This energy efficiency is key to AI's ability to tackle some of today's biggest sustainability challenges.
AI in Action: Tackling Climate Change AI isn't just saving energy - it's helping to fight climate change.
AI and accelerated computing in general are game-changers when it comes to weather and climate modeling and simulation, Parker said.
For instance, AI-enhanced weather forecasting is becoming more accurate, allowing industries and governments to prepare for climate-related events like hurricanes or floods, Parker explained.
The better we can predict these events, the better we can prepare for them, which means fewer resources wasted and less damage done.
Another key area is the rise of digital twins - virtual models of physical environments.
These AI-powered simulations allow companies to optimize energy consumption in real time, without having to make costly changes in the physical world. In one case, using a digital twin helped a company achieve a 10% reduction in energy use, Parker said.
That may sound small, but scale it across industries, and the impact is huge.
AI is also playing a crucial role in developing new materials for renewable energy technologies like solar panels and electric vehicles, helping accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Can AI Make Data Centers More Sustainable? AI needs data centers to operate, and, as AI grows, so does the demand for computing power. But data centers don't have to be energy hogs. In fact, they can be part of the sustainability solution.
One major innovation is direct-to-chip liquid cooling. This technology allows data centers to cool their systems much more efficiently than traditional air conditioning methods, which are often energy-intensive.
Our recommended design for the data centers for our new B200 chip is focused all on direct-to-chip liquid cooling, Parker explained. By cooling directly at the chip level, this method saves energy, helping data centers stay cool without guzzling power.
As AI scales up, the future of data centers will depend on designing for energy efficiency from the ground up.
That means integrating renewable energy, using energy storage solutions and continuing to innovate with cooling technologies.
The goal is to create green data centers that can meet the world's growing demand for compute power without increasing their carbon footprint.
The compute density is so high that it makes more sense to invest in the cooling because you're getting so much more compute for that same single direct-to-chip cooling element, Parker said.
The Role of AI in Building a Sustainable Future AI is not just a tool for optimizing systems - it's a driver of sustainable innovation.
From improving the efficiency of energy grids to enhancing supply chain logistics, AI is leading the charge in reducing waste and emissions.
AI, I firmly believe, is going to be the best tool that we've ever seen to help us achieve more sustainability and more sustainable outcomes, Parker said.
The AI Podcast NVIDIA&
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
04/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/09/2026
ACEMAGIC First to Introduce Ryzen AI Max PRO 495 AI Mini Workstation at IFA 202...
04/09/2026
Krotos Brings Video to Sound Footsteps Directly into Premiere Pro and DaVinci Re...
04/09/2026
RED DIGITAL CINEMA Comes Out Swinging at IBC 2026 with Next-Generation Live Broa...
04/09/2026
Orty v2.0-web - the cold-outreach assistant moves to the web
Brie Clayton September 4, 2026
0 Comments
Orty today announced v2.0-web of its AI cold-ou...
04/09/2026
Lightware is expanding its LARA (Lightware Advanced Room Automation) platform with the GUDE Power Distribution Units (PDU) driver module. GUDE devices can now b...
04/09/2026
Lightware shares the second release in its ESG communications series. Following the first piece, which focused on the companys environmental performance, this r...
04/09/2026
Big Blue Marble supported a leading European public service broadcaster in delivering the Soccer World Cup 2026 streams, supplying more than 10 Tbps of bandwidt...
04/09/2026
Outstanding achievement in engineering, science and technology
Hitomi Broadcast has been recognised with an Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy from the Ac...
04/09/2026
California, Hollywood at a Crossroads
Andy Marken September 3, 2026
0 Comments
I'm doing everything alone. Crossing roads alone. Seeing the Eiffe...
04/09/2026
Berklee Announces Winners of 2026 SongwritersdB Songwriting Contest Students Luca Alexandru, Annika Wild, and Johanna James received the top prizes for origin...
04/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/09/2026
RT ANNOUNCE NEW DRAMA THE MURDER OF MR. MOONLIGHT
BASED ON THE DISAPPEARANCE...
03/09/2026
Yospace will be at IBC from 11th - 14th September (booth 5.C78). For more inform...
03/09/2026
NEP Group has announced leadership changes at Creative Technology Group. Founder and CEO Graham Andrews will step away from day-to-day leadership at the end of ...
03/09/2026
The NFL and TikTok have announced a multi-year partnership renewal expanding the league's presence on the platform. NFL posts on TikTok increased more than ...
03/09/2026
Grass Valley has appointed Ronny Van Geel as Vice President, Cameras. Van Geel began his career in 1999 at Philips DVS and moved into product management in 2005...
03/09/2026
Telestream has announced Vantage Super Resolution, an AI-powered upscaling capability for the Vantage media workflow platform, developed in collaboration with N...
03/09/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) will debut the TCA Tour at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand 8.B45), a portable production system built from System T components in a desktop frame...
03/09/2026
DPA Microphones has announced the 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, making its debut at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand D60). The supercardioid headset features a physicall...
03/09/2026
Qvest will present a multi-vendor Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) showcase at IBC2026 (Booth 10.C24), demonstrating how the EBU's DMF architecture can be imple...
03/09/2026
Imagine Communications will showcase the Magellan PanelFlex control surface and other control portfolio updates at IBC2026 (Stand 1.B73, RAI Amsterdam, Septembe...
03/09/2026
Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 production probe is now available as a software-based solution, deployable on commerci...
03/09/2026
Audio-Technica has unveiled the BP350ST MS (mid-side) microphone in two versions: the camera-mount BP350ST-UL and the boundary or gooseneck-mountable BP350ST-UB...
03/09/2026
Telos Alliance will introduce updates to the J nger Audio flexAI audio processin...
03/09/2026
DUNKMAN, the professional dunk league founded by Shaquille O'Neal in partner...
03/09/2026
Orlando's WRDQ TV 27, WFTV Channel 9 previously named over-the-air broadcast...
03/09/2026
EverPass Media has announced a multi-year commercial distribution agreement with Netflix, expanding on an existing partnership that has delivered NFL Christmas ...
03/09/2026
Yahoo Sports and Apple TV have announced a partnership to deliver alternate broadcasts of select Friday Night Baseball and MLS games on the Yahoo Sports website...
03/09/2026
With another academic year underway, college athletic departments across the cou...
03/09/2026
Facility becomes permanent home of NFL Live on Sept. 9; centerpiece studio for c...
03/09/2026
Create musical synth bass sounds from scratch
Anthony Marinelli Music have recently announced the launch of Bass DNA, a new online course that teaches music...
03/09/2026
Most powerful Tonex hardware to date
IK Multimedia's latest release introduces their most advanced Tonex hardware unit to date, combining their AI Machi...
03/09/2026
Upmix & downmix software upgraded
Penteo Audio Plugins have announced that the latest version of their powerful upmix and downmix software is now available....
03/09/2026
With the start of the new apprenticeship year, young talent has once again begun their professional careers at SGL Carbon's sites in Germany. Recently, the ...
03/09/2026
With the industry increasingly embracing hybrid, software-defined production models, Calrec will preview a series of Argo and ImPulseV software enhancements at ...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Recognizing the ever-increasing demands for media throughput in challenging environments like post-production, two leaders in network technology have worked tog...