Ever since Artificial Intelligence, or AI, emerged on the scene, it has been a game changer. Professionals are more productive, and simple questions get instant answers without wading through an endless swamp of SEO-optimized but often irrelevant search results. But can AI tackle bigger issues, like the origin of the universe or solving climate change. Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt seems to think so, claiming AI will make energy consumption more efficient.

However, there’s concern over AI’s own energy demands and its impact on climate change. AI data centers currently consume 1-1.5% of global electricity, according to the International Energy Agency, and Gates predicts this could balloon to 6%, with Scientific American suggesting up to 10%. That’s a lot of power! But Schmidt and Gates argue that AI will eventually optimize its own energy use. Will it? Maybe. But history shows that efficiency gains don’t always lead to lower consumption.

When fossil fuel burning became more efficient, demand increased because it became cheaper. The same happened with LED lights—people used more of them and left them on longer, so overall energy use didn’t drop as expected. Your new, fast, and efficient computer likely consumes more power because companies pack in extra features, bloatware, and visual effects. Whether it’s water-saving devices, more efficient farm equipment, or cloud computing, the result is often the same: more consumption, not less.

So, will AI improve energy efficiency? Probably. Will it consume less energy? Doubtful. If the past is any guide, it’ll likely consume more, not less.

And what about AI solving humanity’s toughest problems? Not anytime soon. We’re far from achieving Artificial General Intelligence. Today’s AI only knows what it’s been trained on, and everything it’s been trained on was created by us. As it stands, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything truly original that AI has produced.

Make no mistake, Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, and it can help us in tremendous ways. But let’s not treat it like a magic bullet. As for Schmidt and Gates, let’s just say their interests are a little conflicted.