Google boss warns

The head of Google's parent company Alphabet warned that every company would be impacted if the AI bubble were to burst, in an interview to the BBC.

Sundai Pichai acknowledged there was "irrationality" behind the boom in artificial intelligence investment, which has fueled a tech rally this year.

But fears that the AI bubble could burst have led to a selloff, sending global stock markets tumbling in recent months.

Asked if Google would be impacted by the AI bubble bursting, Pichai told the BBC: "I think no company is going to be immune, including us."

The interview, published late Monday, covered long-standing concerns surrounding AI, including energy needs, reducing climate targets, accuracy and the impact of AI on jobs.

Pichai warned of the "immense" energy requirements of AI, which accounted for 1.5 percent of global electricity consumption last year, according to the International Energy Agency.

AI's global computing footprint could reach 200 gigawatts by 2030 -- the annual equivalent of Brazil's electric consumption -- half of that in the United States.

Geopolitical tensions have helped drive a tech frenzy to build massive data centers housing tens of thousands of chips requiring a phenomenal amount of electrical power and large-scale cool.