Data & Society The Environmental Costs of AI Are Surging – What Now? | 'Understanding AI' — NYPL x D&S Event Series [2]
Artificial intelligence technologies run on powerful computers that require vast amounts of energy, water, and critical minerals. As AI use grows, so does its environmental footprint. Yet there is little consensus on how to assess and address the technology’s toll on the climate before irreparable damage is done. How can we understand the impact AI data centers have on communities and the environment? How can we ensure that communities are able to use empirical data about those impacts to fight back?
About 'Understanding AI'
In the fall of 2025, The New York Public Library and Data & Society collaborated to present “Understanding AI,” a four-part live event series exploring the social implications of artificial intelligence and its impacts on democracy, the environment, and human labor. Featuring key figures in the AI ethics field, these events took place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)in New York City as part of the library’s7 Stories Up program, and are now available for all to watch.