Harry Haeck (Smartfin): AI’s footprint is easy to measure. Its handprint isn’t

<p>AI’s footprint is visible in the energy, water and infrastructure required to run it. Its positive impact is harder to capture in a single number, which can make the costs of AI easier to see than the value it creates.</p><p>In this talk, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-haeck/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Harry Haeck</a>, Partner at <a href="https://smartfinvc.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Smartfin</a>, looks at both sides of that equation. </p><p>He starts with the story of San Marcos, Texas, where residents rejected a $1.5 billion data centre investment over concerns about water use, before examining why greater efficiency does not necessarily mean lower overall resource consumption.</p><p>Harry then turns to AI’s “handprint”, highlighting examples across drug discovery, agriculture, methane detection, accessibility and the recovery of ancient texts to show where the technology is already creating tangible benefits.</p><p>The session closes on the question of how investors, technologists and society can reduce AI’s footprint while directing more of its capabilities towards problems that matter.</p><p>Highlights</p><ul><li>Why AI’s footprint is easier to measure than its positive impact</li><li>What the San Marcos data centre dispute reveals about AI infrastructure</li><li>Why efficiency gains can still lead to higher overall resource use</li><li>How AI is already creating impact across science and society</li><li>The difference between AI’s footprint and its “handprint”</li><li>Why we still have agency over where AI is applied</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This session was recorded at the Love Tomorrow Summit, where EUVC curated the investor-focused programme.</p><p><br></p><p>Timestamps</p><ul><li>(00:00) Intro</li><li>(01:00) From bedroom DJ to talking AI at Tomorrowland</li><li>(02:00) When a $1.5B data centre competes with water</li><li>(03:05) The growing energy and water footprint of AI</li><li>(04:10) Why greater efficiency can increase consumption</li><li>(05:15) From AI’s footprint to its handprint</li><li>(06:00) How AI is already creating impact in the real world</li><li>(09:55) Why AI’s positive impact is harder to measure</li><li>(11:35) Why we can still steer the future of AI</li></ul>