Don't let Big Tech hide ecological cost of AI, environment agency chief tells EU

The European Union must force tech companies to disclose the ecological footprint of their data centers, the bloc’s environment agency chief said, as Brussels aims to triple data center capacity within seven years to compete in the AI race. The push raises sustainability concerns due to the large amounts of energy and water required to run the infrastructure.

COPENHAGEN — The European Union must ensure tech companies disclose the ecological footprint of their data centers, the head of the bloc’s environment agency says. As Europe races to catch up with China and the United States in the artificial intelligence race, Brussels hopes to put the necessary computing power in place with a threefold increase https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-data-center-where-will-they-go/ in data center capacity within seven years. That goal has raised sustainability concerns, given the large amounts of energy and water required to run this infrastructure.