A group of over 100 organizations has been working to the AI industry and regulators, and the harmful environmental impact of high-tech just days before industry CEOs, heads of state, academics and nonprofits descended on Paris for major AI conferences. We have issued an open letter calling for the reduction of
The letter, which includes signatures from prominent advocacy groups including Amnesty International and The AI Now Institute, says that AI systems are driving emissions, “locking in” their reliance on non-renewals, and running out of critical resources. We note that there is an increase in evidence. The letter says that little has been done to address these negative externalities, as the tech sector and government justify further investment in AI.
“AIs never become a ‘climate solution’ when implemented on fossil fuels,” reads the letter. “We, the signatories, are demanding that AI systems be compatible with planetary boundaries.”
Signatories are laying out clear requests, particularly to make AI infrastructure, including data centers fossil fuel free. Rush, building infrastructure to develop and execute AI, is straining the electrical grid to its breaking point and forcing some utilities to rely on coal and other environmentally friendly sources of power .
“The global data center’s electricity consumption could double to over 1,000 terawatts by 2026, which is equivalent to Japan’s annual electricity usage,” said the International Energy Agency’s data. Quote and read the letter. “In parts of the world, this growing demand is pushing electricity infrastructure to its limits, extending and strengthening its dependence on fossil fuels, and from there it is linked to public health issues.”
The letter also urges governments and tech companies to prevent new data centres from depleting water and land resources and maintain transparency regarding AI’s environmental impact through the “wide AI lifecycle.” Masu.
Most data centers, which can span millions of square feet, require a large amount of water to not only cool the chips, but also maintain a safe humidity level for your computing equipment. One estimate was that one in ten U.S. residents asked Openai’s AI-powered Chatbot ChatGpt to write an email a week, which cost over 435 million liters of water.
The letter signatories argue that their requests “represent the minimum” necessary to mitigate the continued harm from unconfirmed AI extensions.
“The countries and communities most vulnerable to rapid climate change are initially affected by the harms of AI and its computational demands, and have little to say about its development,” reads the letter. “We must not only view technological advancements as inherently beneficial or infinite, but instead prioritize AI processes that contribute meaningfully to society, minimizing environmental and human harm. It won’t happen.”
Unfortunately for signers, the US, where most of the major AI companies are based, shows they intend to accept growth at any cost.
President Donald Trump has said he will use the energy emergency declaration to quickly approve new power plants in AI data centers, including those that use coal for backup power. Trump has also pledged to quickly track environmental approvals and other permits for businesses that have invested more than $1 billion in the country.