Greener Practice: An Inconvenient Truth – Artificial Intelligence in General Practice (Recording and Slides Available)

Speakers: Dr Ben Lees

AI can transform your practice, but only if used mindfully. In this session, Dr Ben Lees discusses what tech companies aren’t telling you about the environmental cost of AI tools, and gives a practical framework for deciding which uses are genuinely worth it.

You’ll learn to assess the nuanced trade-offs, and when “trying out” a new tool is just wasteful. Walk away with the information and the decision-making tools to adopt AI responsibly and confidently within your practice.

This webinar was kindly hosted by one of our local groups, Gloucestershire Greener Practice.

References

Main source for the CO2 and water figures is de Vries-Gao et al., “The carbon and water footprints of data centers and what this could mean for artificial intelligence,” published in Cell Reports Sustainability, December 2025. It estimates AI systems could be responsible for 32.6 to 79.7 million tonnes of CO2 and 312.5 to 764.6 billion litres of water in 2025. It’s an estimate range, not a fixed number. LINK HERE.

Electricity figures (415 terawatt-hours in 2024, rising to 945 terawatt-hours by 2030) are from the International Energy Agency’s “Energy and AI” report. LINK HERE

Noise (65 to 85 decibels, up to 96 decibels) is from Data Center Knowledge, comparing it to standing next to a large truck. LINK HERE

Water use context (a single large data centre can use as much as a town of 50,000 people) is from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute’s “Data Centers and Water Consumption” article. LINK HERE

Full reference list can be provided if requested.