Why did AI pass Bitcoin in energy spending?

[ultrloa]

I don't see the point of comparison here. Data centers that run AI applications are taxed, centralized, and fully cooperate with authorities, while Bitcoin is decentralized and governments may not be able to effectively control it. In short, the problem isn't electricity consumption or environmental damage, but rather the difficulty of controlling Bitcoin.

Maybe they caught up much on those bias articles released that spreading before. That's why they made those comparison, but Ai didn't get much any complain because government is benefiting on it since they can control or monitor.

But in Bitcoin its different case, because government cannot actually control it and that's the reason why those negative propaganda came out and they try to discredit the greatness of Bitcoin. Then point out that this is more destructive on environment since it consumes lots of energy. Maybe they used that because this is the easiest reason which they can use to give bad shade on Bitcoin. So with those things the issue is not really all about who use more energy. But rather which is the one can easily controlled by government and which is the hard one.

[rat03gopoh]

Both serve different purposes. AI's scope is broader and touches nearly every aspect of life (and even creates more dependency). The energy consumed is commensurate with the output they generate. I think it's more comparable to the energy consumption of Bitcoin and the global banking sector. Or, if necessary, consider the energy from mining gold to ending up in digits in an app.

[stompix]

Today I don't see these pressures from governments and environmental activists on AI companies

You don't see what?

New York becomes first U.S. state to impose AI data center ban
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/14/new-york-ai-data-center-ban.html

Australia to Put Environmental Brakes on A.I. Data Centers
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/world/australia/albanese-artificial-intelligence-guardrails.html

40 mayors worldwide unite to fight back against the AI data centre surge
https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/06/23/40-mayors-worldwide-unite-to-fight-back-against-the-ai-data-centre-surge

Energy Vampires: the AI data centres draining Australia
https://www.greenpeace.org.au/greenpeace-reports/ai-data-centres-draining-energy-australia/

Seriously, the hate on AI data centres is 1000x what it was on Bitcoin mining!

Have you seen a crowd this big protesting Bitcoin mining?

[BlackHatCoiner]

AI is owned by Big Tech companies with massive lobbying budgets, so their grid consumption gets completely ignored by politicians. It was never really about the environment, it was all about control.

Now that you mentioned it: Did you notice any "climate change / crisis" articles being spammed on the Internet lately?  Because I haven't.

[Alpha Marine]

Do you think the government used this pretext for persecution against Bitcoin?

Not only the government, but also anti-bitcoin people in general used the enemy and its dangers to the planet as an excuse to go against Bitcoin. It was very hypocritical because the oil companies and other companies produce more harmful waste to the planet than Bitcoin does. However, when it comes to AI, we have to look at the context.

AI is a great innovation for humans. It will make life better and easier, so we can say it's necessary. If the consequences are high energy, then so be it.
This is why I find it hypocritical when people call out oil companies. We can't live on this earth in this modern day without that oil that is extracted from the ground, so even though it is not done in a decent way, it's something that needs to be done.
AI will even get better than it is today; it will become a valuable part of technology in future.

[Odusko]

The attention is now shifting from Bitcoin to other things as the most energy consuming sector of the economy, this have been the attacks from government and it officials that don't really know what energy consumption is or are just saying that because they want to discredit Bitcoin ecosystem friendliness, this changed a lot of time now, AI presence and energy consumption is one among many other's that consumed more energy than Bitcoin but the government won't talk about that in the news.

[PrivacyG]

Maybe you need to use more AI. It really helps in everything.

I am sorry but I really do not feel any excitement at all about the idea of having a Google-on-steroids as my search engine that collects every thing I prompt, think, search for et cetera exploiting the use of that information to the highest point possible.

Basically all software and websites are written with AI help (or entirely written by AI).
Scientists are using it in their researches.

And to me that is very concerning.  We are stupidifying our selves on a faster pace than ever.  After TikTok, AI and what ever comes next, humanity may really reach the Idiocracy level of brain dead.

[bitmover]

Basically all software and websites are written with AI help (or entirely written by AI).
Scientists are using it in their researches.

And to me that is very concerning.  We are stupidifying our selves on a faster pace than ever.  After TikTok, AI and what ever comes next, humanity may really reach the Idiocracy level of brain dead.

It is more than that. It really does increase productivity 

At development, for example, I can create stuff with AI in 1-2 days thay I would need 2weeks- a month otherwise

[Zlantann]

Not only the government, but also anti-bitcoin people in general used the enemy and its dangers to the planet as an excuse to go against Bitcoin. It was very hypocritical because the oil companies and other companies produce more harmful waste to the planet than Bitcoin does. However, when it comes to AI, we have to look at the context.

Elon Musk stopped the use of Bitcoin for payment in Tesla because of concerns raised by environmentalists. Now he is one of the major investors in the AI industry. These companies are more concerned about financial benefits than the environment.

AI is a great innovation for humans. It will make life better and easier, so we can say it's necessary. If the consequences are high energy, then so be it.
This is why I find it hypocritical when people call out oil companies. We can't live on this earth in this modern day without that oil that is extracted from the ground, so even though it is not done in a decent way, it's something that needs to be done.
AI will even get better than it is today; it will become a valuable part of technology in future.

Your argument is logical since AI is slowly becoming part of our everyday lives. But its importance shouldn't be a reason for the havoc data centers are causing to communities. Extreme energy and water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions caused by these centers, if not controlled, would affect different communities. Just as these anti-Bitcoin forces formed well-organized associations, I expect these environmentalists to keep pushing for data centers to have an alternative and safe source of power.

[Alpha Marine]

Elon Musk stopped the use of Bitcoin for payment in Tesla because of concerns raised by environmentalists. Now he is one of the major investors in the AI industry. These companies are more concerned about financial benefits than the environment.

This is why I say they are just being hypocritical.
People like Elon just follow what would be good for his company. At the time, it seemed cool to go with the public opinion. It is why I keep telling people not to see these billionaires and public figures as heroes. If Bitcoin didn't seem cool, a lot of them wouldn't be involved in it and talking about it all the time.

Just as these anti-Bitcoin forces formed well-organized associations, I expect these environmentalists to keep pushing for data centers to have an alternative and safe source of power.

I don't know if they will call them out, but what I do know is that change takes time. These kinds of things are not things that will happen overnight. As long as the world is still reliant on fossil fuels, it won't be easy for data centres and big corporations to simply switch to renewable and clean energy.
Currently, about 27% of the electricity consumed by data centres uses renewable energy. This figure is bound to grow with time. In the next 5-10 years, it could become more than double of this figure.
There are always going to be things that would be harmful to the planet. All we can do is reduce the rate at which we do it. We can't live in a world where there will be no electronics or oil-generated energy just yet. The world is far away from it.
People shouting about using less energy and plastic straws and protesting against fossil fuel usage are not being realistic, because the alternative is not yet ready to take care of everybody and everything on earth.

[cozytrade]

Bitcoin is used by millions of people. But AI is used daily. In services of billions of users, emails, work tools and social media. Most of the big companies use it. Clean energy use: Bitcoin went to renewable sources and isolated locations. Today, more than 52% of Bitcoin mining use clean energy, while AI still depend a lot on traditional electric grids of big cities. Environmental activists like Greenpeace that wanted Bitcoin to abandon Proof of Work, and governments with the pretext of climate change of big energy spending. Today I don't see these pressures from governments and environmental activists on AI companies and everybody see the consequences of global warming like the heat in Europe and the confused weather in the whole world, who don't believe in global warming I respect, everyone has the right to believe what they want, I believe in scientists from the whole world.

Do you think the government used this pretext for persecution against Bitcoin?

That could very well be the case. Governments generally act in ways that benefit them, and they calculate what they can gain political points for. So I think Greenpeace could very well be on the same page, because I don't know who funds Greenpeace, but I can guess. And even now, when AI demands maximum power, I don't hear any angry cries directed at AI campaigns or talk about them raising global temperatures. Maybe because governments are complicit in this and benefit from their silence? I don't know, but I can only guess.

I believe that people are making a distinction between Bitcoin and AI. Bitcoin was criticized for being . A speculative investment that uses a significant amount of energy for minimal returns. However, AIs energy use is not as reviled, as AI is generally perceived as a tool for business, research and economic development. They can't turn a blind eye to environmental concerns when it comes to AI. When energy consumption is an issue, then the same rules apply to all technologies. Any discussion should be conducted fairly, not looking at impact for one industry versus another.

[BlackHatCoiner]

I am sorry but I really do not feel any excitement at all about the idea of having a Google-on-steroids as my search engine that collects every thing I prompt, think, search for et cetera exploiting the use of that information to the highest point possible.

I'm afraid to tell you that I agree with bitmover. Yes, the AI is terrible for your privacy at every measurable level, but the market is an eternal competition, and you stand very little chance without the AI in the next age. Whatever your job is, another person who has the same expertise as you, but outsources a big portion of the work to the AI gains so much time and energy to do other tasks that you don't.

[Cleanshit]

I don't see the point of comparison here. Data centers that run AI applications are taxed, centralized, and fully cooperate with authorities, while Bitcoin is decentralized and governments may not be able to effectively control it. In short, the problem isn't electricity consumption or environmental damage, but rather the difficulty of controlling Bitcoin.

I would say the difference is that AI are mostly controlled by some company’s that can be easily tax, while Bitcoin at the other hand is decentralized Networ that government has no say about it.

I do also think that discussion about Bitcoin is not only about electricity because government do see it different from Ai because it decentralized so it two level is attention

[bitmover]

I'm afraid to tell you that I agree with bitmover. Yes, the AI is terrible for your privacy at every measurable level, but the market is an eternal competition, and you stand very little chance without the AI in the next age. Whatever your job is, another person who has the same expertise as you, but outsources a big portion of the work to the AI gains so much time and energy to do other tasks that you don't.

And the models are becoming much better now than 6 months ago. Their evolution is exponential

I have Google AI Pro, which allows me to use Antigravity suite. I am really impressed.
It has Anthropic sonet and gemini integrated. it is really amazing what those models are doing now.

But you need patience to learn how to use and to write good prompts.

I am not even using vscode anymore  , just antigravity IDE.

[BlackHatCoiner]

I am not even using vscode anymore  , just antigravity IDE.

I don't understand this migration to Antigravity. Can you tell me what you can do in Antigravity that I can't do in VSCode with a Claude subscription?

Gemini is good, but it's not nearly as good as Anthropic's Fable at coding tasks. I use Gemini more for research, because it has 10 million context window, and does not hallucinate when reading hundreds of articles.

[Faisal2202]

who don't believe in global warming I respect, everyone has the right to believe what they want, I believe in scientists from the whole world.

Do you think the government used this pretext for persecution against Bitcoin?

Can't agree more. This is selective pressure on Bitcoin vs AI, which is real, and the numbers make it hard to justify. BTC mining has been actively pushed down toward renewables under regulatory scrutiny, but I also think it was an attempt to promote the green energy concept, even if it is not as reliable as we think or as they sell it to us.

While data centers are taking more power, their usage is more than the Bitcoin sector. It has not only affected the energy sector, but even the RAM, graphics cards, and other parts of the machinery sector, which has really made it hard for me to have a good build haha.

Governments rarely target technologies for environmental reasons. They targeted Bitcoin because it was giving control to the people, which governments needed to govern them forcefully.

[bitmover]

I am not even using vscode anymore  , just antigravity IDE.

I don't understand this migration to Antigravity. Can you tell me what you can do in Antigravity that I can't do in VSCode with a Claude subscription?

I didn't understand either, until I tried.

It is not antigravity,  but antigravity IDE (there are 3 different softwares in antigravity suite)
Take a look
https://antigravity.google/download#antigravity-ide

The integration with the AI is way better than in Vscode.

But you need a paid plan to use it. It reads all your files and , build docker and test the software,  etc

Gemini is good, but it's not nearly as good as Anthropic's Fable at coding tasks. I use Gemini more for research, because it has 10 million context window, and does not hallucinate when reading hundreds of articles.

I agree, anthorpic is way better. But I received a free google plan for a year, and I don't have anthropic plan.

With antigravity I have access to gemini 3.5 and anthropic sonet (which is way better).

Do you use vscode with a claude subscription?

[snowpega]

Bitcoin is used by millions of people. But AI is used daily. In services of billions of users, emails, work tools and social media. Most of the big companies use it. Clean energy use: Bitcoin went to renewable sources and isolated locations. Today, more than 52% of Bitcoin mining use clean energy, while AI still depend a lot on traditional electric grids of big cities. Environmental activists like Greenpeace that wanted Bitcoin to abandon Proof of Work, and governments with the pretext of climate change of big energy spending. Today I don't see these pressures from governments and environmental activists on AI companies and everybody see the consequences of global warming like the heat in Europe and the confused weather in the whole world, who don't believe in global warming I respect, everyone has the right to believe what they want, I believe in scientists from the whole world.

Do you think the government used this pretext for persecution against Bitcoin?

Well, bro, you have really made a very interesting point here. It is not that strange that the governments and environmental activists were putting so much pressure on Bitcoin for its energy consumption, while now, for AI, they are not. But when we look into it, we will realize that governments might not be putting the same pressure on AI, and we know the reason, but the independent activists are not stopping, because the question is not only about energy but also about the high consumption of water.

Water is important for life. To cool down the systems, they need a consistent flow of water, and due to that, clean water is being consumed at a higher rate, like in those survival movies. We can talk about it later, but the double standards of the governments are not new. They are not stopping this. They are actually motivating them to expand their businesses.

[o48o]

Bitcoin is used by millions of people. But AI is used daily. In services of billions of users, emails, work tools and social media. Most of the big companies use it. Clean energy use: Bitcoin went to renewable sources and isolated locations. Today, more than 52% of Bitcoin mining use clean energy, while AI still depend a lot on traditional electric grids of big cities. Environmental activists like Greenpeace that wanted Bitcoin to abandon Proof of Work, and governments with the pretext of climate change of big energy spending.

Today I don't see these pressures from governments and environmental activists on AI companies and everybody see the consequences of global warming like the heat in Europe and the confused weather in the whole world, who don't believe in global warming I respect, everyone has the right to believe what they want, I believe in scientists from the whole world.

Do you think the government used this pretext for persecution against Bitcoin?

Well you haven't been paying attention. I am guessing because you are more heavily invested into Bitcoin then AI so your news feeds show less criticism for it.

But critique against data centers and AI has been vocal and it's not only coming from environmental activists. It's just more problematic as data centers are seen more as real investments to infrastructure then bitcoin mining centers.

I am guessing that many data centers are actually trying to be as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, as recycling water for example just makes sense in terms of profitability.

That being said, it's not really enough if even 20% of them are cutting corners where ever they can. They are not only rising prices of electricity, they are also rising component prices as production companies rather accept expensive and sure deals from AI companies, then try their luck on selling computer components to public that's not likely to invest as much in challenging times.