The UK’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee is investigating how emerging low-energy computing technologies might ease the increasing electricity consumption driven by AI. As AI models expand, so do the power requirements for data centers, which currently use about 2.5% of the nation’s electricity—a figure expected to grow significantly by 2030. This inquiry comes at a time when the government is focused on balancing AI as a growth sector with its net-zero energy goals. Neuromorphic computing and silicon photonics, which offer potential efficiencies in processing and data movement, are among the technologies under review. These innovations promise to offer higher compute per watt by mimicking brain processes and using light for data transmission. MP Dame Chi Onwurah highlighted the urgency of addressing energy scaling challenges related to AI as the 2030 clean energy targets approach. The committee seeks input from experts to assess the readiness and scalability of these technologies and to explore the UK’s capacity to develop them domestically. The inquiry aims to determine how such advanced computing can be integrated into existing infrastructure effectively and sustainably.