Businesses interested in using AI to hit sustainability goals

A new report shows 76 percent of companies across Asia, Europe and the Middle East are intrigued by the potential of digital technologies, including AI and cloud computing, in driving sustainable development.

But the study from Alibaba Cloud also reveals that 59 percent of businesses acknowledge a gap in understanding how digital technology can assist in achieving sustainability goals.

Around two thirds (62 percent) of executives believe their organizations are lagging in adopting cloud computing and AI to accelerate progress towards sustainability goals. This concern is particularly acute in Singapore (80 percent), the Philippines (77 percent), Japan (75 percent) and Hong Kong (75 percent), indicating a pressing need for organizations to accelerate their technological adoption to advance sustainability.

Overall, 82 percent of respondents agree that sustainable development in technology is paramount for their companies. AI and machine learning are viewed as the most crucial digital technologies for advancing corporate sustainability, with businesses in the Middle East (52 percent) placing greater emphasis on their importance compared to Europe (41 percent).

There is concern about the high energy consumption associated with digital technologies though with 61 percent of respondents fearing that it may hinder widespread AI adoption.

The report also highlights the importance of selecting technology providers that prioritize sustainability. When selecting a 'green' cloud provider, approximately half of businesses prioritize those that use renewable energy (51 percent), maintain energy-efficient data centers (46 percent), and implement carbon footprint reduction initiatives (42 percent).

"With feedback from decision-makers across 13 markets, the survey report sheds light on the current attitudes and challenges businesses face in adopting AI and cloud computing for sustainability," says Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. "At Alibaba Cloud, we are committed to supporting businesses on their sustainability journeys with scalable and sustainable solutions. By pledging to use 100 percent clean energy by 2030 and improving the energy efficiency at our global data centers, as well as optimizing Generative AI capabilities such as large language models (LLMs) performance, AI can be a powerful tool to improve efficiency and optimise energy consumption."

You can read more on the Alibaba Cloud site.

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