February 8, 2024 10:30 a.m.
This week, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senate colleagues introduced legislation that would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards to measure and report the full range of artificial intelligence’s environmental impacts, as well as created a voluntary framework for AI developers to report environmental impacts.
Wyden said, “AI will continue to grow rapidly across every industry, and the infrastructure required to operate AI systems will have commensurate impacts on the environment”. Wyden said, “Ensuring that there are accurate measurements of these impacts – whether positive or negative – is important to maintain a strong commitment to environmental protection. That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that would create standards to measure the environmental impacts of AI, helping us understand how this rapidly emerging technology interacts with the natural world for future generations”.
Wyden’s release said while researchers increasingly highlight that AI can help tackle environmental challenges by accelerating clean energy innovation, providing better weather forecasts and improving cooling efficiency, the rapid growth of AI also comes with environmental harms. Wyden said for example, increasing AI use could contribute to data center electricity demand doubling by 2026, leading to more carbon emissions.
To address these concerns, the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act would:
*Require the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a comprehensive study on the environmental impacts of AI within two years
*Require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to convene a consortium on AI’s environmental impacts
*Create a voluntary reporting system for entities developing or operating AI to measure the full range of AI’s environmental impacts
*Direct a report to Congress detailing the consortium’s findings and describing the voluntary reporting system as well as providing recommendations for further legislative and executive action
The legislation was led by Senators Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. Alongside Wyden, the bill was cosponsored by three other senators. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House.