Editorial: Generative AI is an energy hog and that could hurt progress fighting climate change
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Editorial: Generative AI is an energy hog and that could hurt progress fighting climate change

LA Times  

Artificial intelligence is one of the world’s fast-growing technologies, with Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and others rolling out generative AI models. It’s also one of the most energy-intensive technologies, and that is raising alarm that AI data centers’ thirst for electricity will increase planet-warming emissions and strain the electrical grid. Data centers, or large buildings filled with computer servers, already accounted for about 4% of energy use in the U.S. in 2022, with consumption expected to hit 6% by 2026, an increase driven in part by the boom in AI use. Pacific Gas & Electric revealed in June that it had received 26 applications for new data centers that would use 3.5 gigawatts in total, Times’ reporter Melody Petersen recounted. Indeed, Google’s carbon emissions increased nearly 50% compared with 2019, which the company attributed to its data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions.

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History of this topic

AI has an environmental problem
1 month ago

AI has an environmental problem

The Hindu  

AI has become an indispensable part of our lives, transforming how we work, live, and do business. Impact across stages The environmental impact of AI arises across several stages of its value chain, including energy consumption from infrastructure, computing hardware production, cloud data centre operations, AI model training, inferencing, validation, and related processes. In terms of hardware, data centres, the …

AI data center with up to 3 gigawatts of power is envisioned for South Korea
1 month, 1 week ago

AI data center with up to 3 gigawatts of power is envisioned for South Korea

Live Mint  

While the data centers of South Korea now largely meet domestic demand, the country is regarded by investors as having what is needed for a facility with global reach. An investor group is planning one of the world’s largest data centers for artificial intelligence in South Korea, a sign of red-hot AI demand across the globe despite concern about the …

Electricity demand to surge by 4% globally because of AI. Will DeepSeek save the day?
1 month, 1 week ago

Electricity demand to surge by 4% globally because of AI. Will DeepSeek save the day?

Firstpost  

Last year alone saw a 4.3 per cent increase in global electricity demand, and over the next three years, experts predict an unprecedented rise of 3,500 terawatt-hours, which is similar to adding the electricity needs of an entire country the size of Japan to the global grid every year Amid growing concerns over AI’s power-hungry nature, the emergence of DeepSeek, …

History shows that work does not disappear due to technology, says PM Modi at AI summit
1 month, 2 weeks ago

History shows that work does not disappear due to technology, says PM Modi at AI summit

The Hindu  

Governance frameworks for Artificial Intelligence are “not just about managing risks and rivalries”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday, calling for a collective approach to set standards for AI that benefit everyone, especially the Global South. “There is … a deep interdependence across borders” when it comes to AI, Mr. Modi said. …

Data science and AI: The twin engines powering the renewable energy revolution
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Data science and AI: The twin engines powering the renewable energy revolution

Hindustan Times  

Climate change faces its critical juncture today as the urgent need to exchange fossil fuels with renewable energy sources becomes apparent worldwide. Through advanced forecasting capabilities and optimised generation output and improved grid control and energy storage management, data science with AI technology drives renewable energy transformation at new levels. Renewable energy systems produce massive amounts of data that data …

OpenAI looks across US for sites to build its Trump-backed Stargate AI data centers
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

OpenAI looks across US for sites to build its Trump-backed Stargate AI data centers

Associated Press  

OpenAI is scouring the U.S. for sites to build a network of huge data centers to power its artificial intelligence technology, expanding beyond a flagship Texas location and looking across 16 states to accelerate the Stargate project championed by President Donald Trump. After Trump’s announcement, a number of states reached out to OpenAI about welcoming additional data centers, Chris Lehane, …

Power stocks had been on an AI tear. Then came DeepSeek.
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Power stocks had been on an AI tear. Then came DeepSeek.

Live Mint  

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has laid bare one of the power sector’s greatest fears: The AI boom might not need nearly as much electricity as anticipated. DeepSeek, a generative-AI model trained using substantially less energy than its American competitors, routed tech and power company shares last week, eroding stock gains spurred by data center growth projections. “As a developer, I …

A look at generative AI's environmental impact in figures
1 month, 3 weeks ago

A look at generative AI's environmental impact in figures

Hindustan Times  

The surge in generative artificial intelligence is being met with growing fears about the technology's ecological footprint, one of the top questions up for discussion at a global summit in Paris on February 10-11. American consultancy Gartner said the vast power demands meant that up to 40 percent of data centres built for AI applications could face electricity shortages by …

DeepSeek's cheap chatbot: A win for AI efficiency or a climate risk?
1 month, 4 weeks ago

DeepSeek's cheap chatbot: A win for AI efficiency or a climate risk?

Deccan Chronicle  

Chinese artificial intelligence startup company DeepSeek stunned markets and AI experts with its claim that it built its immensely popular chatbot at a fraction of the cost of those made by American tech titans. People flock to new DeepSeek assistant DeepSeek’s claims of building its impressive chatbot on a budget drew curiosity that helped make its AI assistant the No. …

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI’s energy needs and the climate?
Trending News
1 month, 4 weeks ago

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI’s energy needs and the climate?

Deccan Chronicle  

Chinese artificial intelligence startup company DeepSeek stunned markets and AI experts with its claim that it built its immensely popular chatbot at a fraction of the cost of those made by American tech titans. It’s been axiomatic that U.S. tech giants must spend much more on building out data centers and other infrastructure to train and run their AI systems. …

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI’s energy needs and the climate?
2 months ago

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI’s energy needs and the climate?

Associated Press  

Chinese artificial intelligence startup company DeepSeek stunned markets and AI experts with its claim that it built its immensely popular chatbot at a fraction of the cost of those made by American tech titans. It’s been axiomatic that U.S. tech giants must spend much more on building out data centers and other infrastructure to train and run their AI systems. …

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI's energy needs and the climate?
2 months ago

DeepSeek says it built its chatbot cheap. What does that mean for AI's energy needs and the climate?

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It's been axiomatic that U.S. tech giants must …

DeepSeek breakthrough raises AI energy questions
2 months ago

DeepSeek breakthrough raises AI energy questions

Raw Story  

by Sara HUSSEIN Having shattered assumptions in the tech sector and beyond about the cost of artificial intelligence, Chinese startup DeepSeek's new chatbot is now roiling another industry: energy companies. The AI revolution has come with assumptions that computing and energy needs will grow exponentially, resulting in massive tech investments in both data centers and the means to power them, …

DeepSeek breakthrough raises AI energy questions
2 months ago

DeepSeek breakthrough raises AI energy questions

India Today  

Having shattered assumptions in the tech sector and beyond about the cost of artificial intelligence, Chinese startup DeepSeek's new chatbot is now roiling another industry: energy companies. The AI revolution has come with assumptions that computing and energy needs will grow exponentially, resulting in massive tech investments in both data centres and the means to power them, bolstering energy stocks. …

Electricity demand from AI companies to push power demand up by 38% on US power grids
2 months ago

Electricity demand from AI companies to push power demand up by 38% on US power grids

Firstpost  

The surge in demand is largely driven by the increasing number and size of data centres powering AI technologies. These facilities, which are crucial to the AI boom, are set to consume massive amounts of energy—enough to power entire cities In response to the growing energy needs, President Donald Trump suggested at Davos that new power plants should be built …

Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair
2 months ago

Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair

Live Mint  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Looking for a quick fix for their fast-growing electricity diets, tech giants are increasingly looking to strike deals with power plant owners to plug in directly, avoiding a potentially longer and more expensive process of hooking into a fraying electric grid that serves everyone else. “And if they’re delayed five years in the queue, for example — …

Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair
2 months ago

Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Looking for a quick fix for their fast-growing electricity diets, tech giants are increasingly looking to strike deals with power plant owners to plug in directly, avoiding a potentially longer and more expensive process of hooking into a fraying electric grid that serves everyone else. “And if they’re delayed five years in the queue, for example — …

Trump to fast-track power-plant applications from AI companies for their data centres
Trending News
2 months ago

Trump to fast-track power-plant applications from AI companies for their data centres

Firstpost  

Trump’s plan involves using a national energy emergency declaration to push through the construction of power plants directly serving AI data centres. This would cut down on the long wait times for building new power plants, allowing AI companies to quickly ramp up their operations The idea behind Trump’s plan is to set up new power plants right next to …

Does AI pose a threat to sustainable development?
2 months, 1 week ago

Does AI pose a threat to sustainable development?

China Daily  

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY Editor's note: The 2025 World Economic Forum, being held in Davos from Monday to Friday under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age", is expected to foster a spirit of cooperation and optimism in the digital age in a more sustainable way, despite the different positions of the participants and global uncertainties. As a result, the power …

Does AI pose a threat to sustainable development?
2 months, 1 week ago

Does AI pose a threat to sustainable development?

China Daily  

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY Editor's note: The 2025 World Economic Forum, being held in Davos from Monday to Friday under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age", is expected to foster a spirit of cooperation and optimism in the digital age in a more sustainable way, despite the different positions of the participants and global uncertainties. As a result, the power …

Biden signs ambitious order to bolster energy resources for AI data centers
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Biden signs ambitious order to bolster energy resources for AI data centers

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an ambitious executive order on artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations, such as large-scale data centers and new clean power facilities, can be built quickly and at scale in the United States. The agencies will run “competitive solicitations” from private companies to build AI …

I’ve been working in AI for years – there’s one big problem no one is really addressing
2 months, 2 weeks ago

I’ve been working in AI for years – there’s one big problem no one is really addressing

The Independent  

At the heart of the fanfare over the government’s unveiling of its AI Opportunities Action Plan – 50 recommendations to supercharge the UK as a new AI superpower – were three central planks: the creation of AI “growth zones” in the UK, the huge expansion of government-owned AI computing capacity, including a new supercomputer; and the creation of an AI …

We need energy for AI, and AI for energy
2 months, 4 weeks ago

We need energy for AI, and AI for energy

Live Mint  

In 1903, Mark Twain wrote that “It takes a thousand men to invent a telegraph, or a steam engine, or a phonograph, or a photograph, or a telephone or any other important thing." As AI usage increases, its energy requirements will rise, and if demand outstrips supply, the technology’s development will be strangled. To allow AI’s development to taper off …

Furious locals in southern data center boom town wage war against tech firms 'eating up their land'
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Furious locals in southern data center boom town wage war against tech firms 'eating up their land'

Daily Mail  

Furious residents in a growing tech boom town have pushed back against Silicon Valley giants 'eating up' their neighborhoods for massive data centers. But experts predict Atlanta's data center power usage will continue to skyrocket to a shocking 4,000 megawatts by 2028 - that's thirty times more than in 2012. Furious residents have pushed back against Silicon Valley giants 'eating …

Generative AI and Climate Change Are on a Collision Course
3 months, 1 week ago

Generative AI and Climate Change Are on a Collision Course

Wired  

In 2025, AI and climate change, two of the biggest societal disruptors we're facing, will collide. These range from generating colossal amounts of energy to power the data centers that run tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney to the millions of gallons of freshwater that are pumped through these data centers to make sure they don’t overheat and the tons …

Big Tech Will Scour the Globe in Its Search for Cheap Energy
3 months, 1 week ago

Big Tech Will Scour the Globe in Its Search for Cheap Energy

Wired  

On the southern tip of Malaysia lies the state of Johor, renowned for its beaches and mountainous jungle. But Johor has a new boom industry: data centers to power generative AI, with Microsoft committing more than $2 billion on just such a data center. This draw to deliver AI is so powerful that big tech firms are buying dirty power …

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility

The Hindu  

The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Republican Governor Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the …

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state’s expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over …

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built …

Spain, Portugal Power Cost Edge Seen Fueling AI Data Center Boom
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Spain, Portugal Power Cost Edge Seen Fueling AI Data Center Boom

Live Mint  

-- Spain and Portugal’s low-cost renewable energy is fueling investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure that will increase data center power consumption more than eightfold in a decade, according to Aurora Energy Research Ltd. The boom of generative artificial intelligence has already drawn the interest of several companies in Spain and Portugal, which see data centers as a potentially lucrative source …

How to make AI less of a power guzzler
4 months ago

How to make AI less of a power guzzler

Live Mint  

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform both work and everyday life. But it has a dark underside: AI computer centers consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, to power their processing chips and cool the heat they emit. The biggest AI providers, including Amazon, Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Meta and Microsoft, say they are working to be both carbon-neutral and replenish …

Meta CEO reveals how unexpected bee-related challenges forced them to pause AI project
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Meta CEO reveals how unexpected bee-related challenges forced them to pause AI project

India TV News  

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious AI project is facing unexpected delays, all thanks to a rare species of bees. The tech giant was gearing up to construct an AI data center in a location with easy access to nuclear power, but the discovery of these bees has put everything on hold. Google has already made headlines by announcing plans to …

Tech Titans Join Forces to Bet $50 Billion on AI and Power Projects
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Tech Titans Join Forces to Bet $50 Billion on AI and Power Projects

Live Mint  

Major Wall Street firms KKR and Energy Capital Partners have joined forces to invest $50 billion in data-center and power-generation projects to support the development of artificial intelligence. The investment will be spread over the next four years and will focus on near-term solutions to ease the hurdles tech companies are facing in building data centers.

AI-Powered Data Center Design: A Paradigm Shift in Efficiency and Sustainability
5 months ago

AI-Powered Data Center Design: A Paradigm Shift in Efficiency and Sustainability

Deccan Chronicle  

The article discusses the importance of advanced power management solutions for data centers to meet the demands of AI technologies. Innovations such as efficient uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, precision cooling solutions, and modular designs are crucial for optimizing energy consumption and reducing environmental impact. The article also highlights the role of edge computing and micro data centers in facilitating …

Tech companies are signing nuclear deals because AI is sucking up too much energy
5 months, 1 week ago

Tech companies are signing nuclear deals because AI is sucking up too much energy

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And most recently, Amazon has perhaps taken the biggest step of the trio, signing three deals to …

Is artificial intelligence worth all the money and energy it’s guzzling?
6 months ago

Is artificial intelligence worth all the money and energy it’s guzzling?

Live Mint  

An incident on 28 March 1979 changed the course of energy forever, at least in the US. The reason: to meet its burgeoning need for clean energy for its massive artificial intelligence data centres, as the tech industry balances building giant energy-sucking AI models with its environmental, social and governance goals. The global concern this spawned has led Big Tech …

Letters to the Editor: Don’t let the AI revolution in California be powered by fossil fuels
7 months, 1 week ago

Letters to the Editor: Don’t let the AI revolution in California be powered by fossil fuels

LA Times  

To the editor: As your editorial notes, the dramatic rise in electricity demand from California’s growing number of data centers can cripple our clean energy transition. Putting the debate aside about how essential some AI functions are, it’s clear that we should avoid backsliding on our transition to clean energy by powering these facilities with dirty fossil fuels that pollute …

AI-led CO2 emissions affecting tech firms' green goals
7 months, 2 weeks ago

AI-led CO2 emissions affecting tech firms' green goals

China Daily  

By LIU YUKUN | China Daily | Updated: 2024-08-13 09:48 Technicians check equipment at a computing center in Guiyang, Guizhou province, in June. In June, a green computing power index white paper released by energy group Envision, green data solution provider Hoyinn and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology projected that China's data center energy consumption will exceed …

Power-hungry AI data centers are raising electric bills and blackout risk
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Power-hungry AI data centers are raising electric bills and blackout risk

LA Times  

Near the Salton Sea, a company plans to build a data center to support artificial intelligence that would cover land the size of 15 football fields and require power that could support 425,000 homes. In Santa Clara — the heart of Silicon Valley — electric rates are rising as the municipal utility spends heavily on transmission lines and other infrastructure …

Ep7: Is India blazing a trail on green data centres? | The Interface podcast
8 months ago

Ep7: Is India blazing a trail on green data centres? | The Interface podcast

The Hindu  

Artificial intelligence has sparked an insatiable appetite for computing power and data storage, driving rapid expansion of data centres - the physical backbone of the digital world. Their massive, scalable data centre infrastructures power cloud services and AI applications that are becoming increasingly integral to business operations and daily life. From the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions to the …

AI brings soaring emissions for Google and Microsoft, a major contributor to climate change
8 months, 2 weeks ago

AI brings soaring emissions for Google and Microsoft, a major contributor to climate change

NPR  

AI brings soaring emissions for Google and Microsoft, a major contributor to climate change toggle caption Josh Edelson/Getty Images Researcher Jesse Dodge did some back-of-the-napkin math on the amount of energy AI chatbots use. “And they're willing to pour a ton of resources into that, including things like training AI systems on bigger and bigger data centers all the way …

AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's Hyper-Consumption Era
8 months, 2 weeks ago

AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's Hyper-Consumption Era

Wired  

Right now, generative artificial intelligence is impossible to ignore online. Silicon Valley soon became obsessed with generative AI, and nearly two years later, AI tools powered by large language models permeate the online user experience. “In the back end, these algorithms that need to be running for any generative AI model are fundamentally very, very different from the traditional kind …

Google just revealed how damaging AI actually is
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Google just revealed how damaging AI actually is

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The vast energy needs of artificial intelligence are once again under scrutiny after …

AI driving rise in Google’s greenhouse gas emissions, says company
8 months, 3 weeks ago

AI driving rise in Google’s greenhouse gas emissions, says company

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have …

Google falling short of important climate target, cites electricity needs of AI
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Google falling short of important climate target, cites electricity needs of AI

Associated Press  

Three years ago, Google set an ambitious plan to address climate change by going “net zero,” meaning it would release no more climate-changing gases into the air than it removes, by 2030. Google cited artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity, for last year’s growth. “We know this is not going …

Google falling short of important climate target, cites electricity needs of AI
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Google falling short of important climate target, cites electricity needs of AI

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Google cited artificial intelligence and …

Google blames AI as its emissions grow instead of heading to net zero
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Google blames AI as its emissions grow instead of heading to net zero

Al Jazeera  

Google points to artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on energy-hungry data centres for its growth in emissions. Google cited artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on data centres, which require massive amounts of electricity, for last year’s growth. “We know this is not going to be easy and that our approach will need to continue to evolve,” …

Power-hungry AI boom making power grids dirtier, less reliable
9 months, 1 week ago

Power-hungry AI boom making power grids dirtier, less reliable

Salon  

Artificial Intelligence’s rapid boom is causing a surge in demand for electricity that could pose challenges for the grid, and the companies behind the tech. As Bloomberg notes, data centers already consumed more power than entire nations like Italy and Taiwan in 2023, and their energy demand has surged more than seven-fold since 2008, even as chips become more energy-efficient. …

Big Tech’s Latest Obsession Is Finding Enough Energy
1 year ago

Big Tech’s Latest Obsession Is Finding Enough Energy

Live Mint  

HOUSTON—Every March, thousands of executives take over a downtown hotel here to reach oil and gas deals and haggle over plans to tackle climate change. But most everyone agreed the data centers needed to advance AI will require so much power they could strain the power grid and stymie the transition to cleaner energy sources. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest …

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