As people are constantly in motion, technology accompanies them, as phones buzz with messages, applications suggest the next video to watch and playlists, perfectly fit to our moods and habits, appear pretty much out of nowhere. This is all extremely convenient and almost too good to be true but this is not just a coincidence, it is artificial intelligence quietly working, analyzing data and practically predicting how to make life easier. It feels almost magical, but behind the comfort of the screen, the world is paying a price and it is not always visible.
The most pressing issue with AI is its massive dependence on amounts of electricity, an idea that is easy to brush off and done so by most. Some of the most advanced AI programs use almost as much power as several households in a year. While there are attempts by certain come companies do claim to use renewable energy, it is undeniable that the rate at which AI is growing is faster than clean energy can keep up. Each new model is a bigger and a faster program, which leaves a larger footprint on the planet, contributing to climate change in yet another way that so often goes unnoticed.
“It makes me uncomfortable knowing that our everyday technology can harm the environment. We should be doing more to take care of the planet instead of ignoring the problem,” sophomore Conrad Booth said.
The impact AI has does not stop at energy use. AI needs powerful computers, servers and special chips, all items made from metals like lithium, cobalt and nickel. Mining these metals is often harmful, and is a process that destroys natural habitats and pollutes rivers. Once the machines are old or outdated, they end up as electronic waste, in turn causing causes more piling up in landfills than the current amount.
“I really care about the environment, and it’s scary to think that something we use every day could be hurting the planet. I think we should be more responsible with technology and actually try to protect the Earth,” sophomore Emma Sarria said.
In the search for profit, companies pushing the limit of technology make it so that AI’s growth significantly outruns that which the planet can handle. OpenAi, the developer behind some of the most advanced AI models, like ChatGPT, which require enormous amounts of computing power to train consistently create products with processes that utilize an incomparable amounts of electricity, thus contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. The same innovations that are meant to make life easier put a weighing pressure on the environment; for instance, training one large model can use enough energy to power over 100 homes for a whole year. With newer models consuming even higher quantities, possibly powering thousands of homes, it is reality of millions of people using AI every day makes the total energy use immorally high.
“People don’t realize how much energy AI actually uses, and that’s what makes it concerning. It’s cool technology, but we should be thinking more about how it affects the environment and what we can do to make it better,” sophomore Gabrielle Boute said.
However, we can find slight relief in the presence of ways to make AI more responsible and the success of certain companies in attempting at accomplishing this. Google has made it their goal to run its data centers on carbon-free energy by 2030 and even uses AI itself to make its operations more efficient. Microsoft has promised to become carbon negative by 2030 and to use AI to track environmental changes, among those, monitoring forests and measuring carbon emissions. Even Amazon has started investing in renewable energy using AI to enhance delivery routes, reducing fuel consumption. While these examples show how AI can support sustainability, the efficiency of these promises rides upon the priority given to our environment by these companies. Understanding the hidden costs of AI is just as important as enjoying its benefits. The more people pay attention, the more pressure there will be cleaner and smarter technology.
“AI might make life easier, but all the energy it uses and the resources it consumes really worry me. It’s hard to ignore how much it can hurt the environment,” sophomore Valentina Gonzalez said.
