Artificial intelligence and sustainable development: the analysis of contradictions between technological progress and the ESG agenda in the global economy
TL;DR
The study found that the growth rate of AI infrastructure energy consumption is twice as high as the average growth rate of the economy, which creates a fundamental contradiction with the principles of ESG, which are environmental, social, and governance standards for sustainable development.
Abstract
Introduction. The current stage of technological development is characterized by a rapid increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which inevitably leads to a significant increase in energy and resource consumption, primarily due to the expansion of data center infrastructure. As major technology companies claim to achieve carbon neutrality while simultaneously increasing energy consumption for training and operating AI models, there is a growing crisis of investor and regulatory trust. For Russia, this issue holds significant scientific and practical importance. Goal. The study aims to identify and analyze the contradictions between technological progress driven by the development of artificial intelligence and the principles of the ESG agenda in the context of sustainable development of the global economy, with a focus on the regional characteristics of the United States, Russia and African countries. Materials and methods. The study is based on the analysis of the works of domestic and foreign economists in the field of ESG, official reports on sustainable development, using data from rating agencies, as well as analytical materials from international organizations. The study relied on a combination of general scientific and special methods of analysis. Results and discussion. The study found that the growth rate of AI infrastructure energy consumption is twice as high as the average growth rate of the economy, which creates a fundamental contradiction with the principles of ESG, which are environmental, social, and governance standards for sustainable development. In the long term, resolving the ESG dilemma of AI will require a comprehensive strategy that combines technological, governance, and social measures. Conclusion. The analysis of the confrontation between ESG principles and the development of artificial intelligence demonstrates a deep structural contradiction between technological progress and environmental sustainability. Regional differences highlight the need for a differentiated approach to overcome this contradiction. In the United States, legal and market mechanisms for regulation are already being established, while in Africa, a balance between technological sovereignty and resource constraints is being sought, and in Russia, the focus is on the energy base for digitalization.