Digitization in the Shadow of the Climate Crisis

• Digitalization currently fails to deliver genuine progress in the context of the climate crisis, instead exacerbating resource consumption.
• While renewable energy like photovoltaics has made significant strides, these gains are being offset by software bloat and the resource-intensive nature of AI.
• AI represents a concentration of power rather than a democratization of technology, incurring unsustainable environmental costs.

The Reality of Climate Change

• By the summer of 2026, the impacts of climate change are undeniable; an estimated 9,600 people died in Germany alone due to extreme heat.
• Record-low water levels in the Rhine and other rivers are severely damaging the economy and triggering energy crises in countries like Hungary, Serbia, and Romania.
• Despite technical potential, digital progress has yet to provide the necessary solutions to combat the warming climate.

Laws of Hardware and Software Expansion

• Moore's Law and Koomey's Law confirm that hardware has become faster and more energy-efficient over decades.
• However, Wirth's Law persists: software expands to consume available memory, often outpacing hardware gains in speed and efficiency.
• Applications such as word processors have become 20,000 times more memory-hungry since 1983, illustrating a massive increase in resource usage.

The Trap of AI and the Path to True Progress

• Generative AI consumes vast quantities of energy and water; the UN warns that AI water consumption could reach the equivalent of 1.3 billion people by 2030.
• Contrary to the narratives of tech leaders like Sam Altman, AI often triggers the Jevons Paradox, where increased efficiency leads to higher overall usage rather than net conservation.
• True progress requires prioritizing rapid reductions in CO2 emissions and fossil fuel use; digitalization must shift its focus toward genuine industrial and resource efficiency.