Google Becomes A Massive Polluter
Like other huge tech companies, Google’s parent Alphabet would help save the environment. It planned to become carbon neutral. AI has changed all that, as it has for other tech companies. Profit has trumped being green. With the surge of AI, it will only get worse.
AI Issue — Should Companies Control Nuclear
CNN reported, “The end result has been that Google’s greenhouse gas emissions have soared 48% since 2019, according to the tech giant’s annual environment report. The tech giant blamed that growth mainly on “increased data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions.” Google did not say it had plans to reverse the trend, probably because it can’t.
The new excuse from tech companies is that those who rely on AI for future earnings will rely on AI that is so sophisticated that it will solve the pollution problem. AI will also make the distribution of nuclear, wind, and solar happen faster than forecast. It will also fix US energy grid problems. Bill Gates has even adopted this point of view.
Grid Is Too Old
The problem with the grid is that it is ancient. Upgrading it entirely would cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Private sector funding for grid energy has dropped because of high interest rates and long payoff periods.
Another option, according to the media, is for large tech companies to build their own nuclear reactors. They will compete with utilities for electricity. Residential and commercial electricity rates will rise. The problem will eventually become a political one.
The future of energy, created by AI, will be solved by AI. There is no proof that this can happen.
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