The amount of e-waste caused by AI is underestimated: we can’t only include the servers
When enterprise IT calculates the likely environmental and ROI impact from replacing data center systems, it fails to account for much of it, and also tends to discard hardware far too quickly, according to a report from the Basel Action Network (BAN).
When enterprise IT calculates the likely environmental and ROI impact from replacing data center systems, it fails to account for much of it, and also tends to discard hardware far too quickly, according to a report from the Basel Action Network (BAN).
The short version
- BAN is an NGO that polices the application of the 1989 United Nations Basel Convention , which restricts the trade of hazardous waste between more developed countries and less developed countries.
- “Previous quantitative AI e-waste estimates have underestimated the coming volumes, as they focused overwhelmingly on servers and accelerators, which represent just 13% of a data center’s electromechanical infrastructure.
- This study identifies five equipment categories including networking, power distribution, storage/backup, and cooling, which total approximately 70,000 metric tonnes per GW of capacity,” the report said.
What happened
And, it said, “Of the projected 2050 totals, 31Mt – 46Mt per year is attributable to AI waste alone.” This is not a new discussion. The impact of DC e-waste has been acknowledged by enterprises for years , but few strong conclusions have been reached about what to do about it .
Why it matters
Questions about the math Analysts and consultants generally found the report’s overall conclusions valid, although some pushed back on the precise mathematical projections, wondering if the environmental advocacy group inflated its projections.
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