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The AI Dilemma — Balancing Progress and Environmental Responsibility
What can we do?
Let’s face it: AI is an energy glutton. The numbers are staggering. Training a single AI model can emit more than 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide — that’s nearly five times the lifetime emissions of an average American car!
Those concerned with climate change are sounding the alarm.
It’s not just about carbon, either. AI’s thirst for water is equally alarming. Google’s US data centers alone guzzled an estimated 12.7 billion liters of fresh water in 2021.
The culprit? Massive data centers that power our AI dreams.
These digital behemoths accounted for 1–1.5% of global electricity use in 2023, even before the AI boom took off. And as AI applications multiply, so does their appetite for energy.
I’m quite familiar with these data centers as my wife and I live in Loudoun County, Virginia — the home of “Data Center Alley.” Our county has 30 million square feet of data centers, and more are being built. Loudoun County, Virginia has the largest hub of data centers in the world.
So, what’s an environmentally conscious individual to do? Should we swear off AI and risk becoming digital hermits in an increasingly AI-powered world?
