by Frederica Allen
With the rise of artificial intelligence, many are optimistic for the future of technology. However, the development of AI, or what we are calling AI, presents many issues for our society.
From the mass production of misinformation on social media, to the fact that it seems their development has been focused on accomplishing our leisure activities rather than the things we do for work and the potential displacement of workers in various fields, mostly creative roles.
Another key issue arising from the hard and fast development of AI is the impact on the environment. Whilst some might argue that AI is not really AI, just an advanced computer, they still require increasing computing power to operate.
This has led to the construction of data centres, and massive complexes of servers, such as the data centre in Ashburn, Northern Virginia. All to power AI.
As AI grows more powerful and sophisticated, the energy needed to support them grows, and so do the data centres. As a result, this creates even more hurdles in our efforts to address and reduce our impact on the environment.
On the human side of it, more power lines are needed to transport the electricity to data centres, putting an additional strain on our energy infrastructure as power grids are tasked with more than they were initially designed for. This could potentially lead to an increasing number of power outages. The effects of which can range from inconvenient, such as ending a person’s workday, to the life threatening, should a hospital or fire department suffer a lack of electricity.
This also spills over into non-human areas, as these power lines are built over natural areas, sometimes even through conservation areas. This increases the likelihood of starting wildfires, potentially destroying entire habitats just so Grok AI can write a funny short story about Vladimir Putin farting into a trumpet.
If we are serious about reducing our emissions, the power demands of these data centres only holds back our efforts.
The amount of power needed to fuel them can be staggering, and since there are valid concerns about our average energy consumption and whether renewables could cover it, adding data centres further limits our efforts to combat climate change.
AI is not going anywhere anytime soon, especially not data centres as they support more than just AI. Additionally, AI can be vital to sectors such as healthcare.
However, as it stands, we are in an uncomfortable delusion where we commit ourselves to natural preservation, seeking to save a planet that is on the verge of catastrophe. Yet, at the same time, believing that our technological progress can go on at an unsustainable rate.
