Dear Honored Representative,
I am writing you to bring to your attention an issue that I believe could be a determining factor in the future of our nation, yet which has largely been ignored within our government. The creation, training, and maintenance of new AI models requires enormous amounts of electricity and water and numerous other environmentally detrimental activities. The construction of new AI infrastructure across the globe is creating a new spike in demand for electricity and forcing fossil fuel power plants which were in the process of retiring to stay online rather than being replaced by renewables. Regardless of ongoing gains in the energy efficiency of AI software, the accelerating growth of the AI sector and associated data centers will, without intervention, inevitably reverse much of the progress we’ve made against climate change. The IEA predicts that at the current pace of development, the global energy consumption from AI-optimized data centers will more than quadruple by 2030.
During the 118th Congress, the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024 (S.3732/H.R.7197) was proposed and rejected. This bill would have required a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental consequences of AI along with a subsequent reconvening of Congress in order to decide what to do about the results. This brings me to my purpose for writing you. I believe it’s absolutely essential that this bill be reintroduced. AI’s environmental impact is an issue that’s dramatically underplayed in today’s political landscape, and AI companies have continuously gotten away with concealing the total energy input required for their AI models. Under the current presidential administration, which has promised to “reject radical climate dogma and bureaucratic red tape” in order to boost AI development in the United States, the passing of this bill is more urgent than ever.
I recognize that the development of AI has the potential to do enormous good for the world, both in science and in other fields. However, I recommend America proceed with caution as we lead the way into the future. The world only has so many resources, and a lack of foresight regarding AI’s possible environmental consequences could be deadly for humanity. The passing of this bill is the first and most essential step to making sure we know what we’re getting ourselves into.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Constituent