Resource Consumption of AI: Environmental Impact and Degrowth Solutions

Explore the environmental impact of AI and datacenters in this 43-minute conference talk from the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3). Examine the often-overlooked resource consumption beyond energy, including water and metal usage, while understanding the devastating environmental consequences of expanding datacenter infrastructure. Learn about various scenarios regarding energy and resource consumption, including their economic and ecological limitations. Discover potential degrowth solutions that could help maintain digital capabilities while reducing environmental impact, and investigate alternative technologies that could lead to more sustainable computing practices. Presented by Thomas Fricke, this talk provides critical insights into the ecological challenges posed by AI infrastructure and explores practical approaches to mitigate these environmental concerns.