The Hidden Cost of Our Digital Lives: Understanding Data Pollution
Our digital world comes with an invisible environmental price tag: data pollution. Every email, stream, or AI query consumes energy and water, contributing to a growing environmental burden. Data centers, the backbone of the digital economy, use vast amounts of electricity and deplete critical resources like water, often in drought-prone areas. For instance, a new data center in Uruguay plans to use 7.6 million liters of potable water daily, enough to meet the needs of 55,000 people, highlighting a global issue of development at the expense of local resources.
The environmental impact of AI is also staggering. A 2019 study found that training a single AI model could emit as much CO2 as five cars over their entire lifetimes. The carbon footprint of tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Meta often far exceeds reported numbers due to misleading claims about renewable energy use.
Auditing Data pollution: A Path to Accountability
To mitigate data pollution, we need to audit and measure its true environmental impact. Eticas’ Data Pollution Auditing Project aims to build a global movement that tracks data processes, holds companies accountable, and pushes for sustainable practices. Involving academics, advocates, and policymakers, the project seeks to turn research into actionable strategies, from environmental taxes on data centers to broader regulatory measures.
Explore Our Work and Join the Movement
Eticas is dedicated to advancing Responsible AI and mitigating data pollution. Our reports explore solutions like taxing data processes and creating accountability standards for data centers.
Read our full report and get involved!