As AI booms, Google’s having a hard time slashing its emissions

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Category: Technology/Innovations

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. baseline / ˈbeɪsˌlaɪn / (n.) – a starting point or level that serves as a basis for comparison or measurement
    Example:

    The company uses customer satisfaction surveys from the past year as a baseline to know if its services improved.


  2. soar / sɔr / (v.) – to increase very quickly to a great height, amount, or value
    Example:

    Temperatures soared to over 40°C during the heatwave, causing discomfort for many people.


  3. pledge / plɛdʒ / (n.) – a serious promise or agreement to do something
    Example:

    The politician made several pledges during the election campaign to improve healthcare and education.


  4. in aggregate / ɪn ˈæg rɪ gɪt / (idiom) – in total or considered as a whole, often after adding different elements or quantities together
    Example:

    The survey results, in aggregate, show a strong preference for the new product.


  5. nonprofit / nɒnˈprɒf ɪt / (adj.) – describing something that doesn’t aim to make a profit
    Example:

    Mary volunteers at a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families find shelter.


Article

Read the text below.

Three years ago, Google set an ambitious plan to address climate change by going “net zero,” meaning it would release no more climate-changing gasses into the air than it removes, by 2030.


But a report from the company on July 2 shows it is nowhere near meeting those goals. Rather than declining, its emissions grew 13% in 2023 over the year before. Compared to its baseline year of 2019, emissions have soared 48%.


Google cited artificial intelligence and the demand it puts on data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity, for last year’s growth.


Some experts say the rapidly expanding data centers needed to power AI threaten the entire transition to clean electricity, an important part of addressing climate change. That’s because a new data center with its need for electricity can delay the closure of a power plant that burns fossil fuel.


Data centers are energy-intensive, require high-voltage transmission lines, and need significant amounts of water to stay cool. They are also noisy. The installations often go in where electricity is cheapest, not always where renewables, such as wind and solar, are a key source of energy.


Global data center and AI electricity demand could double by 2026, according to the International Energy Agency.


Data centers are also challenging the sustainability pledges of other major tech companies. Microsoft said data centers caused its emissions, in aggregate, to grow 29.1% from its 2020 baseline in its May environmental sustainability report.


Tech companies make the case that AI, including tools such as ChatGPT, is not only partially causing climate change, it’s also helping to address it. In the case of Google, it could mean using data to predict future flooding or making traffic flow more efficiently, to save gasoline.


“It’s just important to understand AI can be a force that increases emissions, and AI can be a force that decreases emissions,” says Amanda Smith, senior scientist at climate nonprofit Project Drawdown.


Smith says those using AI—both large companies and individuals just making memes—need to do so responsibly, meaning using the energy when it benefits society.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Tech companies attribute the increase in their emissions to AI. However, they also make the case that AI can help address climate change. In what ways do you think AI can help the environment? Can you think of any situations where AI might cause more harm than good? Discuss.
  • Data centers, which are essential for powering technology and services, are making it difficult for major tech companies to keep their environmental pledges. Do you think it’s possible for tech companies like Google to prioritize AI development and sustainability at the same time? Why or why not? Given AI’s environmental advantages, which of the two objectives should companies focus on? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Amanda Smith says that those using AI—both large companies and individuals just making memes—should do so responsibly, using energy when it benefits society. In your opinion, what online activities can be considered beneficial to society (ex. research, communicating with family)? Do you think using AI for entertainment, like making memes or using social media, is a responsible way to use energy? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Do you think people are aware of the environmental impact of their online activities? Why or why not? What do you think will encourage people to use energy only to benefit society? Discuss.