AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that.
The sprawling data centres that house AI servers churn out toxic electronic waste and are voracious consumers of electricity, which in most places is still produced from fossil fuels.
When the United Nations Environment Assembly convenes in December, a key topic up for discussion will be the mounting environmental impact of artificial intelligence. Ahead of those talks, here’s a look back at a story first published on 21 September 2024. There are high hopes that artificial intelligence (AI) can help tackle some of the world’s biggest environmental emergencies. Among other things, the technology is already being used to map the destructive dredging of sand and chart emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But when it comes to the environment, there is a negative…
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