The use of artificial intelligence is soaring among tech companies, and while it can be hugely beneficial, the downsides are alarming. A report from the Guardian has found that some major firms are perhaps underreporting the pollution that their AI activities create.
What's happening?
Analysis by the Guardian found that in-house data centers of huge companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple are likely producing far more planet-warming pollution than previously reported.
The publication noted that between 2020 and 2022, company-owned data centers were possibly producing as much as 7.62 times more pollution than what official records show.
Amazon was described as the worst polluter by the Guardian, producing more than twice as much pollution than Apple, the second company on the list.
"It's down to creative accounting," a representative from Amazon Employees for Climate Justice told the publication. "Amazon — despite all the PR and propaganda that you're seeing about their solar farms, about their electric vans — is expanding its fossil fuel use, whether it's in data centers or whether it's in diesel trucks."
Why is pollution from AI concerning?
A report from Morgan Stanley research, cited by the Guardian, detailed that data center pollution is expected to reach a global total of over 2.75 billion tons of carbon dioxide pollution by 2030.
For all the good that AI can do, such as helping produce more weather-resistant crops and assisting with conservation efforts, that's a lot of pollution, and that will only serve to make a number of the problems it's being deployed to solve much worse.
Carbon dioxide pollution traps heat inside the atmosphere, leading to rising temperatures that can exacerbate extreme weather conditions, destroy crops, negatively impact animal habitats, and make life more uncomfortable — or even deadly — for humans.
What's more, this marks another example of greenwashing by huge companies, which are outwardly stating their intentions to reduce their polluting impact but are still engaging in activities that produce excessive planet-warming pollution.
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What can be done about AI-related pollution?
Scientists are working on ways to reduce the polluting impact of data centers, with researchers at the University of Texas coming up with a cooling system that could reduce energy usage by as much as 65%.
But keeping a watchful eye on the activities of major companies is important to hold them accountable for their planet-damaging actions.
It might be worth reconsidering what services you utilize from these companies — as difficult as it may be because of their ubiquity — as few things can instigate change as much as shifting consumer attitudes.
Giving eco-friendly brands your business and attention is a great way to show that responsible climate practices can result in profits.
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