Energy, water use, and pollution of AI and data centers rival most countries

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Category: Science/Environment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. footprint / ˈfʊtˌprɪnt / (n.) – the total size, impact, or effect that someone or something has on others
    Example:

    Our school is trying to reduce its environmental footprint by using less plastic and recycling more.


  2. credibility / ˌkrɛd əˈbɪl ɪ ti / (n.) – the quality of being trusted, believed, or accepted as honest and true
    Example:

    The university professor has a lot of credibility because she has studied medicine and worked in hospitals for over twenty years.


  3. eye-popping / ˈaɪˌpɒp ɪŋ / (adj.) – extremely surprising or impressive
    Example:

    The new stadium cost an eye-popping $2 billion to build, making it the most expensive in the country.


  4. shroud / ʃraʊd / (v.) – to keep something hidden, secret, or hard to see
    Example:

    The artist management company carefully shrouded the truth about why the famous actor suddenly quit the television series.


  5. disclosure / dɪˈskloʊ ʒər / (n.) – a piece of information, fact, or report that was kept secret before but is now revealed to the public
    Example:

    Before the meeting, the company required complete disclosures of all past work histories from the new partners.


Article

Read the text below.

The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world’s largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water use, energy use, and pollution will double in just four years as the use of artificial intelligence grows.


Last year, global data centers used 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity, more than all but 10 countries in the world, said the report recently issued. That electricity use produced about 208 million tons (189 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide, about the same amount as Argentina, and producing that much energy consumed about 1.2 trillion gallons (4.5 trillion liters) of water, according to the report on the environmental consequences of AI’s energy use.


By 2030, data centers will account for nearly 3% of the world’s projected electricity use, with 935 trillion watt-hours. If data centers were a country, the country would be projected to rank sixth-highest in power use in 2030. That would produce nearly 440 million tons (399 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide, the report said. The study focused on energy use and didn’t examine the massive amount of water used to cool data centers.


“If you look at these numbers, we’re seeing scales comparable to nations,” said study co-author Kaveh Madani, a water scientist and director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Canada. “The demand is enormous.”


Much of the growth of data centers is being driven by AI. About 20% of data centers’ energy is currently due to AI, but that should grow to 40% by 2030, the report said.


The report is significant because of the credibility and authority of the U.N., not just because of any one set of eye-popping numbers, said Fengqi You, a Cornell University energy engineering professor who directs the college’s AI sustainability issues.


“Its value is that a U.N. institution is putting carbon, water, land, life-cycle impacts, and environmental justice into one frame” for an issue that is often shrouded in secrecy and partial disclosures, said You, who was not part of the report.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • According to a United Nations University report, the environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world’s largest countries. How does reading about this affect your view of AI and data centers? Discuss.
  • The article notes that information about data center energy and water impacts is often kept secret, and tech companies only share parts of the truth. Why do you think these companies prefer to share only a small part of the facts about their resource use instead of being completely open with the public? Do you think these companies should be required to share all of their information? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The report predicts that by 2030, data centers will account for nearly 3% of the world’s projected electricity use, ranking them sixth highest in power use if they were a single country. Do you believe global organizations should place limits on data center growth to prevent them from consuming this much of the world’s power? Why or why not? Which is more important for the future: allowing technology to grow freely or protecting global resources from being consumed by a single industry? Discuss.
  • Do you think the tech companies should pay to repair the damage, or should the governments of the countries where they are built take care of it? What do you think this industry should be asked to do, especially since its growth is hurting our environment and resources? Discuss.