The Great Green AI Hoax Machine

During last week’s State of the Union address, President Donald Trump announced a “Rate Payer Protection Pledge,” calling on tech firms to build their own power plants to offset electricity prices around data centers. Today, tech executives are expected at the White House to formally sign the pledge.

Observers should be on the lookout for big promises from the industry, including on sustainability. But they would do well to remember that nothing puts the “artificial” in artificial intelligence more clearly than the claims that it’s good for energy and the environment.

On that score, Silicon Valley has a history of making big promises. For example, OpenAI’s Sam Altman boldly heralds a new AI “Intelligence Age,” promising “astounding triumphs” including “fixing the climate.” Microsoft’s Satya Nadella says AI can be a “powerful accelerant” for efforts to address the climate crisis. And Google goes even further, asserting that “AI has the potential to unlock insights that could help mitigate 5% to 10% of GHG emissions by 2030—and to significantly bolster climate-related adaptation and resilience initiatives.”