Every time we talk about AI, we get one big piece of feedback that I really want to dive into: how the lightning-fast explosion of AI tools affects the climate. AI takes a lot of energy, and there’s a huge unanswered question as to whether using all that juice for AI is actually worth it, both practically and morally.

It’s messy and complicated and there are a bunch of apparent contradictions along the way — so it’s perfect for Decoder. Verge senior science reporter Justine Calma joins me to see if we can untangle this knot.

Links:

This startup wants to capture carbon and help data centers cool down | The Verge
Google’s carbon footprint balloons in its Gemini AI era | The Verge
Taking a closer look at AI’s supposed energy apocalypse | Ars Technica
AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle | WaPo
AI Is already wreaking havoc on global power systems | Bloomberg
What do Google’s AI answers cost the environment? | Scientific American
AI is an energy hog | MIT Tech Review
Microsoft’s AI obsession is jeopardizing its climate ambitions | The Verge
The answer to AI’s energy needs could be blowing in the wind | The Verge
AI already uses as much energy as a small country | Vox

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Callie Wright and Amanda Rose Smith. Our supervising producer is Liam James.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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History of Science & Technology Q&A (April 26, 2023)