Google, Microsoft and Meta have all pledged to reach at least net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Amazon set their net-zero deadline for 2040. To understand how these four tech companies could possibly meet their climate goals amid an artificial intelligence renaissance, Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong discusses the green AI movement. Speaking with scientists, CEOs and tech insiders, she explores three possible pathways: nuclear energy, small language models (SLMs) and back-to-the-future ways of keeping data centers cool. Listen to Part 1 of Short Wave's reporting on the environmental cost of AI here. Have a question about AI and the environment? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Hey, short wavers. Regina Barber here with my co-host, Emily Kwong, with the second half of a miniseries she reported on the environmental footprint of AI.
Hey, Em. Hi, Gina. So today I am bringing you a story of a personal crisis. It's very relatable. Go on. Okay. So in 2018, computer scientist Sasha Luciani took a new job, AI researcher for Morgan Stanley. She was excited to learn something new in the field of AI, but she couldn't shake this worry.
I essentially was getting more and more climate anxiety. I was really feeling this profound disconnect between my job and my values and the things that I cared about. And so essentially I was like, oh, I should quit my job and go plant trees. I should do something that's really making a difference in the world. And then my partner was like, well, you have a PhD in AI. Maybe you can use that.
So Sasha quit her job. Wow.
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