E-Waste: Understanding The Not-So-Obvious Threat Associated With AI
It's one of the environmental concerns surrounding this powerful new tech.
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Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxWe’ve all seen predictions about how artificial intelligence might negatively impact our society. From the spread of misinformation to widespread job losses, there’s no shortage of reasons to be wary about the proliferation of this powerful technology.
But there’s an environmental factor that doesn’t get as much attention — and it probably should.
Preparing for the future
You might have heard that AI uses an immense amount of energy, which at this time is produced largely from fossil fuels. But that’s not the only reason that the AI boom could spell bad news for our planet.
According to available research, the current rate of AI expansion is on track to result in as much e-waste as 10 billion iPhones combined by the end of this decade.
A new study published in the Nature journal noted that “the physical materials” and “waste stream of obsolete electronic equipment” are major factors that “have received less attention” than the relative energy requirements.
“Our study aims not to precisely forecast the quantity of AI servers and their associated e-waste, but rather to provide initial gross estimates that highlight the potential scales of the forthcoming challenge, and to explore potential circular economy solutions,” the study explained.
Addressing the challenges
Instead of pushing for the eradication of power-hungry generative AI models, the researchers offered a number of steps developers and consumers should take in order to reduce the impact.
Among the recommendations included in the research paper are:
- Creating more efficient software that will allow devices to last longer
- Finding new uses for servers after they have outlived their usefulness
- Recycling various components necessary in the creation of AI
While these might be positive first steps, the researchers weren’t very specific about their potential benefit, stating that these strategies could reduce e-waste anywhere from 16% to 86%.
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