Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Jacky Yang, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Jacky Yang
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Aviation
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Cynthia Pugh
Abstract
Data centers, including artificial intelligence (AI) facilities, serve as the backbone for many modern digital services and products. With the rapid digitization of society, the expansion of these centers in the United States has accelerated significantly. From an anthropocentric and utilitarian perspective, they provide economic benefits, supporting employment and generating public revenue. However, they can also create a significant amount of environmental and societal challenges. From an ecocentric and environmental justice perspective, AI data centers has contributed to increased competition for the limited resources, such as water, electricity, and land and has been linked to rising utility costs, noise pollution, and potential for environmental contamination. The potential for environmental contamination mostly comes from the cooling systems used within these facilities. They often contain biocides, corrosion inhibitors, and can leak heavy metals, which if improperly managed, can have severe adverse effects on the local ecosystem and human health. This analysis focuses on the ethical responsibilities of operators and the importance of proactive measures, such as upgrading the traditional open-loop evaporating system to a more sustainable and resource-efficient closed-loop and microfluidic cooling systems, infrastructure upgrades, chemical substitution, and continuous monitoring. The study demonstrates that while AI data centers are essential for technological progress and daily operations of many, they require careful planning in order to mitigate the adverse environmental and societal impacts that are often associated with it.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Environmental Ethics and Impact of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers
Data centers, including artificial intelligence (AI) facilities, serve as the backbone for many modern digital services and products. With the rapid digitization of society, the expansion of these centers in the United States has accelerated significantly. From an anthropocentric and utilitarian perspective, they provide economic benefits, supporting employment and generating public revenue. However, they can also create a significant amount of environmental and societal challenges. From an ecocentric and environmental justice perspective, AI data centers has contributed to increased competition for the limited resources, such as water, electricity, and land and has been linked to rising utility costs, noise pollution, and potential for environmental contamination. The potential for environmental contamination mostly comes from the cooling systems used within these facilities. They often contain biocides, corrosion inhibitors, and can leak heavy metals, which if improperly managed, can have severe adverse effects on the local ecosystem and human health. This analysis focuses on the ethical responsibilities of operators and the importance of proactive measures, such as upgrading the traditional open-loop evaporating system to a more sustainable and resource-efficient closed-loop and microfluidic cooling systems, infrastructure upgrades, chemical substitution, and continuous monitoring. The study demonstrates that while AI data centers are essential for technological progress and daily operations of many, they require careful planning in order to mitigate the adverse environmental and societal impacts that are often associated with it.