AI could help unlock more oil — and emissions

A new peer-reviewed study published in a Nature journal finds AI could help unlock more oil and natural gas—potentially outweighing the climate benefits AI brings to renewable energy. Per Axios, researchers from Purdue University and the Enabled Emissions Campaign modeled how AI-driven productivity gains ripple through global energy markets. While AI can improve renewable forecasting and efficiency, it could make fossil fuel production cheaper and more profitable—adding emissions equivalent to one to five percent of the global energy sector's twenty twenty-four output. Oil companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil are already using AI to identify promising drilling sites and boost recovery from existing fields. The researchers conclude that supporting clean energy alone won't be enough to cut emissions.

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