Topic: environmental impact
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OpenAI's 'Stargate' Expands with 5 New US AI Data Centers
OpenAI is expanding its AI infrastructure with five new U.S. data centers as part of Project Stargate, highlighting the massive computational and energy needs of advanced AI systems. The project, backed by partnerships and significant funding, is ahead of schedule and aims to supply 7 gigawatts o...
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The Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Fueling the AI Revolution
The immense computational needs of AI are fueling a global construction and investment boom, projected to cost trillions and fundamentally reshape the digital infrastructure landscape. Strategic partnerships between AI developers and cloud providers have become standard, with massive investments ...
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Is AI Reinforcing Gender Inequality?
AI systems absorb and amplify societal biases, often reintroducing and intensifying misogyny in new forms, which deepens gender inequalities. Laura Bates, through her work and personal experience, highlights that AI is lowering barriers to creating harmful content like deepfake pornography, facil...
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AI Slop Backlash Is Reshaping Content Online
Americans increasingly dislike generative AI as it becomes embedded in daily life, with polls showing souring attitudes, especially among younger adults, and NYU's Meredith Broussard noting, "The AI revolution has happened, and everybody hates it." The backlash stems from a lack of consent,users ...
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MW4 Switch 2 Retail Edition Uses Code-In-A-Box
Microsoft’s shift to code-in-box packaging for the Switch 2 version of Modern Warfare 4 marks a departure from its previous normalization of non-upfront game-key models on PS5 and Xbox. This strategy avoids the hybrid disc-as-authentication approach used on other consoles, opting instead for full...
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SpaceX's Terafab opts for natural gas over Tesla solar
SpaceX will build natural gas power plants with large battery arrays to power its Terafab semiconductor facility in Texas, marking a shift away from renewable energy with no mention of solar power despite Tesla's partnership. The project, located in Grimes County, benefits from a 100% tax abateme...
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Amazon data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water last year
Amazon disclosed its global data centers consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, a 2% decline from 2024 despite expanding operations, with a consumption rate of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour. The disclosure coincides with Seattle imposing a one-year moratorium on new data centers amid inte...
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Vegan Cheese Breakthrough: Microbreweries Hold the Key
AuX Labs has developed a method to produce animal-free casein, the key protein for cheese texture, through fermentation, aiming to solve the long-standing problem of disappointing vegan cheese alternatives. The company plans to scale production by partnering with struggling microbreweries, using ...
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Laurel Halo: Midnight Zone Original Soundtrack
Polymetallic nodules on the deep ocean floor contain critical minerals essential for renewable energy technology, sparking a debate between resource extraction and ecological preservation. The deep-sea environment remains largely unknown, a theme artist Julian Charrière explores in his film *Midn...
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H&M Partners with Startup to Turn CO2 Into Clothing
The fashion industry's environmental impact is being addressed by startups like Rubi, which uses enzymes to convert captured CO₂ into cellulose, the base material for textiles like lyocell, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional forestry-based production. Rubi has secured $7.5 million ...
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Trump Administration Threatens to Dismantle Key Climate Research Center
The White House budget office has proposed dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), labeling it a source of "climate alarmism" and threatening U.S. capacity for weather and climate research. The budget director criticized NCAR's climate science and its diversity initiative...
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Microbes Unlock Copper as AI Demand Soars
The surging global demand for copper, driven by AI infrastructure and data centers, is outpacing supply, with accessible reserves dwindling and projected demand reaching 37 million tonnes annually by 2031. A startup named Endolith is using bioleaching, a process involving microbes to extract copp...
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Nvidia CEO: New AI Supercomputing Tech Is a 'Miracle'
Nvidia's AI supercomputing advancements are revolutionizing industries by exponentially boosting computing performance, enabling breakthroughs in healthcare, autonomous systems, and scientific research. The technology combines advanced hardware and software algorithms to enhance efficiency, reduc...
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Librarians Host ‘Avoiding AI’ Workshops for Those Fed Up With Big Tech
Librarian Charlie Bailey created an "Avoiding AI" workshop in Philadelphia to help frustrated patrons disable forced AI features like Apple Intelligence and Gemini on their devices, teaching digital literacy and autonomy. The workshop, inspired by Maine librarian Hannah Cyrus, drew unprecedented ...
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OpenAI’s ChatGPT Basketball: Why Are They Selling It?
OpenAI has launched a $70 ChatGPT basketball, described as a "physical reminder that creativity doesn’t just live on our screens" and part of a "Pause. Play. Prompt." campaign promoting mental health and outdoor activity. The basketball is made of 100% rubber and aimed at outdoor play, but the ta...
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Seprify Secures €13.4M to Replace Titanium Dioxide with Cellulose
Seprify, a Swiss startup, has raised €13.4 million to commercialize a cellulose-based whitening agent, inspired by the light-scattering scales of a beetle, as a natural replacement for titanium dioxide. Growing regulatory bans on titanium dioxide in food and other products, due to safety concerns...
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EU Exempts Smart Glasses from Removable Battery Rules
The European Commission exempted wearable technology like smart glasses from EU rules requiring user-removable batteries, clearing a key barrier for Meta's smart glasses in the EU market. The exemption, based on a process launched in 2025 and expert assessments, only waives end-user removal; batt...
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FCC Approves Space Mirror Satellite That Astronomers Dread
The FCC approved Reflect Orbital's experimental satellite Earendil-1, which will use a 60-foot thin-film mirror to reflect sunlight to a three-mile-wide area on Earth, despite over 1,800 public comments objecting to the plan. The FCC argued it lacks authority to consider light pollution or enviro...
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NVIDIA's H100 GPU Launches AI Processing Into Orbit
Nvidia's H100 GPU, launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is the first terrestrial-grade data-center GPU in space, offering a hundredfold performance increase over previous spaceborne computers for AI tasks like Earth observation analysis. Orbital data centers, as tested by Starcloud-1, reduce env...
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Apple's AirPods Pro 3 Won't Include a Charging Cable
The AirPods Pro 3 will not include a charging cable, requiring users to purchase one separately or use existing cables or wireless charging. This change may be manageable for users who already own USB-C cables and could help reduce electronic waste by minimizing unused accessories. Apple's decisi...
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