The article discusses a significant Republican spending bill aiming to prevent state regulations on artificial intelligence (AI), raising concerns about potential detrimental impacts on climate change. Experts estimate that the unchecked growth of AI could lead to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. over the next decade. This increase in emissions is attributed to the substantial electricity use required by AI data centers. Critics argue that without oversight, the shift toward cleaner energy may be hindered, worsening environmental issues and public health concerns.
We talk a lot about what AI can do for us, but not nearly enough about what it's doing to the planet. If we're serious about using AI to improve human wellbeing, we can't ignore the growing toll it's taking on climate stability and public health.
The blocking of regulations will also be a factor, said Gianluca Guidi, visiting scholar at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
About 1bn tons of planet-heating carbon dioxide are set to be emitted in the US just from AI over the next decade if no restraints are placed on the industry's enormous electricity consumption.
Republicans want a pause of state-level regulations upon AI during a timeframe that will see so much electricity use in data centers for AI purposes.
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