Living in San Francisco, at the heart-drive of technological growth, we are constantly met with headlines announcing the next breakthrough. Technology is rapidly expanding, yet sustainability often struggles to keep pace, especially the facilities driving recent technology known as data centers. The static that we now brush off as background noise, becomes louder than ever as the environmental impacts of data centers become more evident. As we tip toe the line between innovation and irreversible environmental damage, more and more people are demanding for green technology.
At this moment, we are reaping the rewards of a rapid technological advancement, and it’s progressing faster than we can prepare for. Tech companies test-driving robots in broad daylight barely draw a second glance from unphased San Franciscans. Self driving cars are second nature, and millions now use and rely on AI to draft emails, analyze data, create art and even assist in medical research. The future feels in many ways exciting as we’re breaking through what we once thought was the limit of technology.
Beneath these innovations lie the foundation of it all: Data Centers. As the name suggests, these facilities house the servers and hardware that allow digital technologies to operate. Data centers power everything from data storage and networking, to streaming services and training AI models. As data centers become more complex and widely used, their energy demands increase, “A single large-scale facility can consume as much electricity annually as 350,000 to 400,000 electric vehicles.” The largest hub is located in Northern Virginia, Va, and Silicon Valley follows closely. These hubs are funded by common household names such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta.
The question of how we will accommodate this increased usage of energy has stumped communities as many have called for tech companies to pause their production. In an interview with the department chair of mathematics and statistics, as well as data science professor, James Wilson, discusses the issue of transparency. “There needs to be more of an understanding and clarity of how exactly the company is going to account for the resources they’re using. The public is often unsure of exactly what a data center is going to do to their community, but it seems like it’s happening anyway.” Most companies barely had more than a couple sentences regarding the subject on their websites, and much less on the issue of its environmental impact; a conversation that should be explored with the millions being affected.
Energy consumption is only one byte of the story. After emitting all this energy, hardware needs to be cooled down to avoid overheating damage, which means data centers run through water at an alarming rate to support this machinery. According to the International Energy Agency, “Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day.” Additionally, mass carbon emissions, rapid electronic waste and large demands for land are some of the pressures from the environmental cost of transitioning into a digitized world.
As a result, a demand for green solutions is rising. Companies like IREN and Soluna are switching entirely to renewable energy. Companies such as Submer and Zutacore are setting the bar for non-water based cooling methods, leaving water out of the equation entirely. Epic Cleantec is one of the leading companies driving water recycling methods. While other solutions have surfaced, like strategically building their data facilities in cooler climates to reduce cooling needs overall.
Wilson mentioned how academics are now emphasizing the need for efficiency. “I think in a large way, we could use scientific help and understanding to figure out how we can build AI algorithms more efficiently so as to not use so many resources.” Although we are seeing the race to sustainability unfold, each solution has its own trade offs, and we are a long way from the perfect answer. The question is now raised: What can we do as a consumer about a topic that seemingly feels out of our control?
Wilson says that he makes it his mission to educate himself and his students on the topic, “At the start of my classes, I require students to read and reflect on a recent review paper about the environmental impact of AI. This is to raise awareness and get students to think about the impact of the algorithms that we discuss in class..Student reflections often show that they had not realized the impact that AI and data center infrastructure can have on the environment. I think that it is our job as educators to start these conversations.” A key tool we have as a consumer is staying informed on the issue, and putting pressure on big companies to take into account these consequences, before causing irreversible damages to our communities.
Living in a city at the forefront of technological change places us in a unique position. We are not just observers of innovation, we are participants in shaping it. These unprecedented times have forced us to challenge how we integrate these new technologies into our societies. We have to ask ourselves what this means for the future, and what regulations should be put in place before we can even think about expanding the accelerated growth of technology. Wilson states “I think AI is a wonderful tool to have….But we just have to use it very carefully.” The future of AI does not have to come at the planet’s expense. We are now awaiting sustainable methods to play catch-up with the immense progress we’ve made, as we pivot our energy and focus on green technology.
