computer-science
A warning sign about AI’s real cost, courtesy of Google and Amazon
Key takeaways
- It s no secret that AI is a hog, consuming energy and water like no digital technology before it.
- Both Google and Amazon released their sustainability reports this week, and the numbers aren t pretty.
- A close reading of the reports suggests that both Amazon and Google will have to make some serious, and potentially costly, adjustments to their businesses if they’re going to achieve their net-zero targets.
It s no secret that AI is a hog, consuming energy and water like no digital technology before it. Now we know just how much Big Tech s pursuit of AI is costing the environment.
Both Google and Amazon released their sustainability reports this week, and the numbers aren t pretty. Each company has pledged to zero out its carbon emissions in the coming years, but AI has made those goals a lot harder to hit. Google s total carbon emissions are up 25% since last year, Amazon’s are up 16%.
A close reading of the reports suggests that both Amazon and Google will have to make some serious, and potentially costly, adjustments to their businesses if they’re going to achieve their net-zero targets.
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