The "Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024" for the first time calls for standardized measurement methods for the environmental impact of AI—a necessary step in view of the rapidly increasing energy consumption by AI systems.

The bill, introduced by U.S. Senator Markey, tasks the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with developing standards for measuring the environmental impact of AI and a voluntary reporting framework for AI developers. IDED (formerly known as SDIA) supported this bill as one of the signing organizations.

The analysis shows:

• Dual Impact of AI: AI can both promote climate protection (optimized energy grids, improved weather forecasts) and significantly contribute to environmental stress—by doubling electricity consumption in data centers by 2026, water usage for cooling, and increasing electronic waste from specialized AI chips.

• Transparency through Standards: Without standardized measurement methods, the actual environmental impact of AI systems remains unclear. The bill establishes the basis for comparable and verifiable reporting.

• Broad Support: Organizations such as Hugging Face, Data and Society, and IDED supported the bill—a signal of the growing awareness that AI development must include environmental responsibility.

The bill calls for a report to the U.S. Congress within four years and a consortium to develop measurement standards—a forward-looking approach that is also relevant for European AI regulation.