The impact of artificial intelligence on the environment
One of the most frequently asked questions was the excessive energy consumption generated using artificial intelligence, and now the use of fresh water to cool the servers that host the AI in the data centers has been added. Of course, this raises a few questions about the environmental impact that was not calculated at the time the wave of massive consumption of such technology began.
A report issued by the University of California, Riverside, points out that technology companies are not doing enough to address these environmental impacts in a responsible manner. On the other hand, international organizations have also joined in the call for attention to this omission and have requested that solutions be found to the problem so that processing burdens are distributed more equitably around the world.
If anything characterizes the technology industry is the flexibility that represents it, the ability to adjust to the environments and market demands, so Professor Shaolei Ren of the University of California, Riverside, stresses that these companies can reduce the environmental impact, locating in more sustainable spaces, leaving aside the search for low operating costs and prioritizing reducing the environmental impact that AI is generating.
The researchers propose that technology companies should rethink alternatives to data centers located in regions with water scarcity, and even more if we talk about fresh water; and optimize the workload distribution capacity of AI to reduce the impacts on already affected areas.
In the article, the electrical and computer engineers offer viable solutions to reduce the environmental inequity of AI, as well as calling on leading technology companies to take early action and adopt a more equitable approach to the distribution of AI-generated environmental impacts.
If you are interested in learning about these solutions, you can read the article at:
https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2023/07/12/ai-creates-new-environmental-injustices-theres-fix
