AI’s Hidden Threat to Public Health

Most people have heard about the environmental impact of the mutation of artificial intelligence today, caused Data centers Packed with the association Servers. in US Only, the demand for artificial intelligence is expected to pay the Data Center Electricity consumption to 6.7 to 12.0 percent of the country’s total by 2028. On the same date, Water consumption This data center facilities are expected to double, or even quadruple, compared to 2023.

But many people did not call between Data centers and public health. the Power plants The backup generators needed to maintain data centers that work by generating harmful air pollutants, such as the microscopic substance and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants negatively affect human health, which leads asthma Symptoms, heart attacks, and even cognitive decline.

But the contribution of artificial intelligence Air pollution Public health burden is often missing from talks about responsible artificial intelligence design. Why?

Because the surrounding air pollution he “A silent killer.” While concerns about General health effects of data centersIncluding possible links to The rate of cancer increasesThey started on the surface, most developers of artificial intelligence models, practitioners, and users simply do not realize the serious health risks associated with energy and infrastructure that operate modern artificial intelligence systems.

The risk of surrounding air pollution

The surrounding air pollution is responsible for Nearly 4 million early deaths Throughout the world every year. The largest of the perpetrator is the small particles of 2.5 ور m or less in its diameter (referred to as the name PM 2.5), Which can be deeply transferred to the respiratory system and Lungs. Along with height blood pressureSmoking, high blood sugar, is air pollution is a major health risk factor. The World Bank estimates The global cost of air pollution at 8.1 trillion USDThat is, 6.1 percent of Global GDP.

Unlike the common belief, air pollutants do not remain near their emissions: they can travel hundreds of miles away. Moreover, PM 2.5 contaminated is “non -threshold”This means that there is no safe level of exposure.

With the danger of this pollution firmly, the question becomes: How much is it responsible for artificial intelligence? in We searchedWe have begun to answer this question.

Measuring the general health cost of Amnesty International

To ensure the availability of artificial intelligence services even during network interruption diesel fuel. While the total operating time for backup generators is limited and organized by local environmental agencies, their emissions rates are high. A model diesel generator can launch 200 to 600 times more than nitrogen oxides from Natural gas Power plant Produce the same amount of electricity.

accident a report Virginia has revealed that backup generators in Virginia data centers emit about 7 percent of permissible permits in 2023. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency Cobra modeling toolWhich draws how air pollution affects human health at local, state and federal levels, the cost of the general health of these emissions in Virginia is estimated at $ 150 million, which affects distant societies such as Florida. Imagine the effect if the data centers have reached the maximum permitted emissions.

What increases the increase in public health risks, a large group of data center generators in the region may work simultaneously during the interruption of the network or a lack of networks as part of the response programs, which may lead Harmful for people with lung problems.

Next, let’s look beyond the reserve generators to supply energy from the network. The largest part of the electricity data centers that operate the electricity comes from the burning power plants Fossil fuelThat release harmful air pollutants, including PM 2.5 and Nox. Despite the years of progress, the power plants remain The main source of air pollution In the United States.

We calculated that one large training AI Tolide A model in the United States, like Meta Lama 3.1, it can produce the largest amount of PM 2.5 10,000 trip and forth in the car Between Los Angeles and New York City.

according to We searchedIn 2023, the air pollution attributed to the American data centers was responsible for It is estimated at 6 billion dollars in public health damage. If the current development of the current artificial intelligence continues, this number is expected to reach 10 to 20 billion dollars annually by 2030, which competes with the impact of emissions of 30 million cars in California.

Why carbon and Energy efficiency It is not the entire story

To date, efforts to reduce Amnesty International Environmental footprint Mostly focused on Carbon emissions Energy efficiency. These efforts are important, but they may not relieve the health effects, which are highly dependent on the place where emissions occur.

Carbon anywhere is carbon everywhere. Climate Carbon dioxide To a large extent, it is the same regardless of where it is emitting. But the health effect of air pollution depends heavily on regional factors such as local sources of energy, wind patterns, weather and population density.

Although Carbon emissions And pollutants of harmful air have some common sources, the exclusive focus on carbon pieces does not necessarily reduce, and may exacerbate the risks of public health. For example, our recent (and unpublished) research showed that the redistribution of Meta energy loads in 2023 through American data centers to determine the priorities of carbon discounts may reduce the total carbon emissions by 7.2 percent, but will increase public health costs by 2.8 percent.

Likewise, the focus only on energy efficiency can reduce air pollutants emissions, but does not ensure a low health effect. This is because training the artificial intelligence model itself using the same amount of energy can result in significantly different health results depending on the site. Through the American data centers in Meta, we found that the general health cost of training the same model could vary in more than 10 factor.

We need the authenticity of artificial intelligence

Supply side solutions, such as using Alternative fuel For backup and electricity design generators, it can reduce the impact of the general health of Amnesty International, but they come with great challenges.

Clean backup generators that offer the same level of diesel reliability are still limited. Although progress in Renewable energyFossil fuels are still deep in the power fuel mix. US Energy Information Management Projects This charcoal Electricity generation In 2050, about 30 percent of the level of 2024 will remain under the alternative electricity scenario, as power plants continue to work under the rules before April 2024. I remained almost flat Over the past four decades, it confirms the difficulty of changing energy supplies that operate the entire data centers.

We believe that the demand strategies that consider spatial and temporal differences in health effects can provide effective and implemented solutions immediately. These strategies are especially suitable for artificial intelligence data centers with great operational flexibility. For example, artificial intelligence training can be operated in any available data centers and usually does not face difficult final dates, so that these jobs can be directed to sites or postponed to times that have a lower impact on public health. Likewise, the inference functions can be directed between multiple data centers without impact User experience.

By integrating the effect of public health as a major performance of performance, this flexible citizen can be harnessed to reduce the growing burden of artificial intelligence. It is important, this persuasive approach to health in artificial intelligence requires minimal changes to current systems. Companies simply need to consider public health costs when making decisions.

While the cost of public health of Amnesty International is growing, artificial intelligence carries a tremendous promise to enhance public health. For example, within the energy sector, Amnesty International can move in the complex decision space to send the power plant in actual time. By align the stability of the network with public health targets, artificial intelligence can help reduce health costs while maintaining reliable energy supplies.

Artificial intelligence has become at a general benefit and will continue to reshape society deeply. As such, we must examine artificial intelligence through a general lens, with its impact on public health as a critical consideration. If we continue to overlook it, the general cost of Amnesty International will only grow. Affective health intelligence provides a clear way forward to develop artificial intelligence while strengthening cleaner air and health societies.