Study: AI Boosts Fossil Fuel Production More Than Green Energy, Raising Emissions
nordicinst · x · 2026-08-11
A new study indicates that AI will do more to boost fossil fuel production than to aid green energy. Researchers found AI could increase recoverable oil and gas reserves by 5% and cut deepwater project costs by 10%.
However, these productivity gains come at a climate cost. Across 64 scenarios, the emissions increased from enhanced fossil fuel extraction outweighed the savings from AI-optimized clean power. This results in an estimated net increase of 0.47 to 1.8 gigatonnes in yearly carbon pollution, or about 1% to 5% of the energy sector's annual emissions. The study estimates AI will create close to £370bn in cumulative value for fossil fuel companies between 2026 and 2030.
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