From Paradox to Progress A Net Positive AI Energy Framework 2025

Reading guide The World Economic Forum’s AI Energy Impact initiative aims to advance more efficient AI adoption, minimizing energy use while maximizing AI’s contribution to a greener, more affordable and secure energy future. This report series examines AI’s transformative energy impact globally, offering insights through both broad analysis and focused regional deep dives. As AI continues to rapidly evolve, each paper in this series aims to provide a snapshot of its energy impact and the landscape at that time. The series aims to deepen understanding of AI’s energy implications through ongoing collaboration with Forum partners and stakeholders shaping AI strategy and implementation. Together, these papers provide both a current and forward-looking view of AI’s role in transforming energy systems, and form part of the Industries in the Intelligent Age cross-industry series exploring AI’s global impact. The series includes: In January 2025, the Forum, in collaboration with its AI and Energy Impact community and Accenture, published the first paper in the series, Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Paradox: Balancing Challenges and Opportunities. That paper catalysed a global conversation around AI’s dual nature, its potential to accelerate decarbonization and its rapidly rising energy demands. The report called for urgent attention to AI’s energy implications and laid the groundwork for a new approach.This insight report builds upon that foundation and proposes a strategic shift, from paradox to progress, that enables AI scaling to stay aligned with national and corporate energy-transition pathways. It introduces a practical framework for achieving net-positive AI energy: a future in which the energy and resource savings enabled by AI exceed the energy consumed throughout its life cycle.1 This is not a theoretical ambition. It is a strategic imperative for ensuring AI contributes to, rather than compromises, the resilience, sustainability and equity of energy systems. Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Paradox: Balancing Challenges and Opportunities WHITE PAPER JANUARY 2025In collaboration with Accenture Transformation of Industries in the Age of AIAI Governance Alliance From Paradox to Progress: A Net-Positive AI Energy Framework INSIGHT REPORT DECEMBER 2025In collaboration with AccentureImpact on industrial ecosystemsCross industry Regional specific Impact on regions Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Paradox: Balancing Challenges and OpportunitiesUpcoming: Piloting the Future: Azerbaijan’s AI-Energy Use Case to Business Case PlaybookFrom Paradox to Progress: A Net- Positive AI Energy FrameworkUpcoming: A Matter of Power: Optimization of AI and Hyperscale Data Centre Infrastructure in MENA From Paradox to Progress: A Net-Positive AI Energy Framework 3