ANALYSIS: Will AI Make Tech Companies Pivot on Climate Promises?

In 2021, Google reported to the SEC that it would be running its entire business on carbon-free energy everywhere, at all times, by 2030. That same year, Microsoft reported that by 2030, it would not only be carbon neutral but also carbon negative.

As we head into 2025, these tech firms’ ambitious pledges are being seriously challenged by the recent emergence of one new technology: artificial intelligence.

Both companies own and operate super-large, or “hyperscale,” data centers that are now significantly dedicated to housing their AI services. This year, Google’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions went up by 50% due ...