The post AI’s Rising Energy Demand Could Surpass Bitcoin’s Consumption by 2025, Sparks Environmental Concerns appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Recent research indicates that the rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) could eclipse Bitcoin’s energy consumption by the end of 2025, reigniting the debate on environmental impact. This shift in energy consumption trends comes as major tech companies ramp up AI initiatives, often downplaying the dramatic rise in electricity usage associated with these technologies. According to Alex de Vries-Gao, a critic of Bitcoin’s energy consumption, AI might consume 23 gigawatts of power by early 2025, significantly higher than Bitcoin’s current consumption levels. Explore how AI’s anticipated energy consumption could overshadow Bitcoin, altering the environmental narrative in tech. Key insights reveal critical challenges ahead. AI’s Energy Consumption Projected to Surpass Bitcoin’s by 2025 In a groundbreaking study published in the scientific journal Joule, researchers have projected that artificial intelligence (AI) could account for almost 49% of global data center electricity usage by the end of 2025. This figure marks a significant comparison to Bitcoin, which currently consumes approximately 176 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually. The implications of these findings could shift the focus of environmental scrutiny from cryptocurrency mining to the emerging AI sector. Critics Shift Focus: The Growing Energy Demand of AI Alex de Vries-Gao, a PhD candidate and well-known critic of Bitcoin’s energy requirements, highlights an important shift: “Big tech companies are well aware of this trend, as companies such as Google even mention having faced a ‘power capacity crisis’ in their efforts to expand data center capacity,” he noted on LinkedIn. Furthermore, within their 2024 environmental reports, tech giants have cited AI as a major factor in increased electricity consumption, though they seldom break down the specific consumption by AI components. Economic Impact and the Opaqueness of AI’s Energy Usage The opacity regarding AI’s energy demands contrasts sharply with Bitcoin’s relatively transparent consumption metrics, derived from the network’s hash rate.…

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Filed under: News - @ June 3, 2025 2:23 am