We recently hosted Prof. Ahmad Antar from Harvard for a talk with PD Microfinance. Prof. Antar has over 15 years of experience in investment banking and is the founder of Digital Emissions, a non-profit focused on cleaner technology. He helps companies lower their digital carbon footprint, and he brought a lot of great insights on global finance and tech to our club.
It was a great session with awesome questions, and it gave us a lot to think about as change leaders.
AI is Everywhere, But the Planet Pays for It
AI is a huge part of our lives now, whether we are using it for homework or running businesses. But it currently stands at a crossroads: it can either be a catalyst for good or a culprit for environmental damage.
While AI growth is moving fast—with costs dropping and adoption happening four times quicker than the early internet—the hidden environmental costs are massive. Over $1 trillion is being poured into AI infrastructure, and all those giant servers and GPUs running nonstop require real energy and water:
Emissions: AI now causes 3–4% of global emissions, which is double the entire airline industry.
Electricity: It uses around 3% of global electricity. Running ChatGPT for just one day takes enough power to run the city of Charlotte for an hour.
Water: Data centers use a ton of water for cooling. Every 20 to 50 prompts you type uses about one bottle of water. Multiply that by billions of prompts, and it adds up fast.
This is a classic example of Jevons’ Paradox: as tech gets more efficient and cheaper, people use it way more, which actually drives up total consumption and climate impact.
What This Means for Microfinance and Financial Inclusion
This isn't just a tech issue—it directly impacts financial inclusion. Climate change always hits the most vulne
rable people first. Unchecked AI growth increases inequality and puts extra pressure on the exact communities microfinance supports:
Small farmers dealing with droughts.
Artisans facing rising costs.
Families living without stable power or clean water.
If tech grows unsustainably, microfinance ends up fighting a much bigger economic battle on the ground.
Moving Forward Responsibly
The good news is that tech can still be used for good if we build it responsibly. Combining tech, sustainability, and equity can help create smarter energy grids, better climate-risk predictions, and fairer financial tools.
As students, we don't need a lab or a startup to help. We can start small by learning basic Python, understanding the environmental side of AI, and backing community innovation like KIVA. Small choices make big ripple effects.
Thanks again to Prof. Ahmad Antar for speaking with us and helping us think about how responsible tech can strengthen the communities we serve.