The Cost of Generative AI

Caption: Photo taken of the inside of a data center. “Every time you make a Google search, every time you scroll on Instagram or TikTok, AI is impacting you,” said Dr. Courtney Capozzoli, science teacher. Photo credits: Unsplash.

By Ian Biles, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Generative AI has a strong argument for the most impactful technological advance of the last 50 years. It also has the potential to impact nearly every aspect of American society, from schooling to government to, surprisingly, the environment.  These far-reaching impacts are already demonstrating short-term negative effects. While it's impossible to predict what the future long-term effects could look like, AI is certainly changing the way the world works. 

AI is impacting the climate on a global scale. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, an average-sized data center consumes 110 gallons of fresh water in a year. This excessive water use has caused drastic changes in the natural water cycles of areas where data centers are prevalent. Dr. Courtney Capozzoli, an Earth and Environmental teacher at the high school, discussed what people can do to minimize these effects and the ways the government should regulate AI. 

“AI data centers essentially wipe out any progress we’ve made on renewable energy,” Dr. Capozzoli said.  “They take up so much energy, so much water to run, that they cancel out renewable energy developments in areas where both are present.”

Capozzoli said that while water shortages aren’t a problem in most areas of the East Coast, areas such as California are experiencing more water shortages due to the appearance of data centers. In addition to water, AI data centers are driving up the price of power for everyday people.

“With these new centers, people are having to pay more for their power bills, and we’re having energy shortages because of how energy hungry these centers are,” Capozzoli said, “ In addition to that, companies like Duke Energy have the audacity to tell people they need to reduce their energy usage while they allow these data centers to be built on their power grid.”

According to Capozzoli, there is little that the general public can do to reduce the impact on the environment.  Regardless of people using AI or not, the water and energy will still be used up to train the model. However, on a civic level, individuals can still make an impact.

“As citizens, we need to be better informed about the huge energy footprint these centers produce,” Capozzoli said. “People need to get involved with the governing bodies who make decisions that impact these data centers, and we all need to spread the word about what the ‘cost’ of AI use is.”

The North Carolina Governor's website outlines North Carolina’s official “stance” on generative AI. According to the website, North Carolina is  “committed to fostering innovation, advancing AI-driven industries, and preparing its workforce for the evolving technological landscape.” This position of committing to fostering AI-driven industries has a high potential to further the negative environmental impacts discussed above. Capozzoli says that the state government courting these industries is the exact opposite of what should happen.

“I feel like politicians who are encouraging these data centers are hiding behind the platform of' growth of industry,” Capozzoli said. “However, when it comes to data centers, this argument doesn’t really work because data centers don’t employ anyone, and therefore, in my mind, don’t do a lot to encourage growth, or give any type of economic boost to the communities they’re being placed in.”

Currently, North Carolina has around 40 officially recognized centers (according to ABC Carolinas), mostly in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, with notable hubs in other areas of the triangle.  This number will continue to rise if politicians aren’t held responsible, which Capozzoli says is crucial to preventing further environmental damage. 

“We need to hold these politicians accountable,” Capozzoli said. “And since this is such a localized issue, people need to pay more attention to local elections and what local governments are doing to encourage or discourage the development of data centers.”