Big tech and environmental groups push for new AI data center guidelines

U.S. big tech companies and major environmental groups have begun to prepare joint guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

According to The Hill, a media outlet specializing in the U.S. Congress, on the 3rd (local time), big tech companies such as Microsoft (MS), Amazon, Meta, and Google, and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have formed a consultative body related to data center development.

Nvidia, Antropic, and Oracle are also said to have participated in the consultative body.

The goal of the council is to create national standards to achieve the goal of building data centers while maintaining social responsibility.

So far, big tech and environmental groups have been at odds over data center development.

Unlike Big Tech, which has been promoting the construction of large-scale data centers to expand the AI ​​industry, environmental groups have put the brakes on the expansion of development due to increased power and water use, air and water pollution, and burden on local communities.

However, as the conflict surrounding AI data centers grew, both sides began discussions to establish common standards.

The council is reviewing sustainable economic development, cheap and stable carbon-free energy supply, and local community participation and consent as its main principles.

It also operates sector-specific committees covering water use, energy, transparency and community participation, and economic development.

The results of the discussion will be prepared in the form of guidelines that can be continuously modified according to actual implementation and technological changes.

NRDC emphasized that data centers can affect not only air and water quality, but also energy and housing costs, and that "communities directly affected must participate in the discussion."

The Sierra Club also maintains that clear safety measures are needed for AI data center development.

However, criticism of this agreement was also raised within environmental groups.

Brett Hartle, director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said the push for joint guidelines could be used by Big Tech companies to promote their image as environmentally friendly.

The issue of data center construction has also emerged as an issue in American politics.

The Trump administration is pushing for big tech companies to voluntarily comply with data center-related standards, but has not expressed support for the introduction of mandatory regulations.

Congress is also pushing for a bill to shorten the construction process for infrastructure such as data centers.

If this bill passes, data centers will benefit from a reduced environmental impact review process, but may also incur greater costs for electricity use.