- The UN calls on AI companies to disclose the environmental costs of AI
- New energy projects and data centers contribute to pollution
- UN establishes AI Environmental Transparency Initiative to provide insight into impacts of water use, carbon emissions and land use
Several studies of the direct and indirect impact of artificial intelligence have predicted that the technology is harming local and global environments and contributing to man-made climate change.
But the full extent of the damage should be made public by AI companies themselves, the UN has said.
Speaking at London Climate Action Week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “If AI is to help build a better future, it must be honest about what it is costing us now.”
Reveal the full environmental cost of AI
“By 2030, they could use more electricity than all but five countries – and enough water to meet the basic needs of all 1.3 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa for an entire year,” he said.
His speech (via Pakinomist) also included the launch of the UN’s AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, which allows AI companies to publicly disclose water, the environmental impacts of their water use, carbon emissions and land use.
Some AI companies have agreed to net-zero commitments and decarbonization through renewable energy projects, but these commitments are largely voluntary and do not expose companies to any consequences if they do not meet the targets.
This has been exacerbated in the US – where many of the biggest AI companies operate – with President Trump removing environmental commitments, obstructing planned renewable energy projects, removing legislation on fossil fuel power generation construction and even deleting the US government’s extensive archive of climate resources.
With AI now accounting for 80-90% of the world’s computing resources, there has been an explosion in new data center construction projects to meet the demand. Many sites have turned to on-site natural gas-burning turbines to supply their energy, which has been linked to health problems and neurological symptoms in the local population. In other regions, data centers have been connected to nearby energy networks, sending local residents’ bills skyrocketing.
The total environmental cost of artificial intelligence is not known, but estimates for the United States have put the total cost at about $25 billion per year, which includes the health costs of residents living in the polluted vicinity of data centers. The UN hopes the AI Environmental Transparency initiative will provide direct insight into the fiscal, human and environmental costs of AI.
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