# The climate impacts and ethical considerations of AI use

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/the-climate-impacts-and-ethical-considerations-of-ai-use/138875>\
**Category:** Community\
**Created:** [August 17, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/the-climate-impacts-and-ethical-considerations-of-ai-use/138875 "2026-08-17T14:19:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![mihalybaci](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mihalybaci/32/13528_2.png) [@mihalybaci](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mihalybaci)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/the-climate-impacts-and-ethical-considerations-of-ai-use/138875/41 "2026-08-18T17:21:54Z")

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> [@harvestdeparture729](#):
>
> To reduce the broad externalities of LLM’s to current noisy estimates of current CO2 emission intensity is, in my opinion, an extraordinarily reductive viewpoint.

I certainly agree that there are many more issues that are worthy of discussion. It is also a necessary practical matter to limit threads to a particular scope. If we open things up to all possible avenues I can imagine in my head, then this topic would be likely devolve into folks talking over, past, and through each other as everyone defends/promotes their myriad positions.

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**Author:** ![Datseris](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/datseris/32/13406_2.png) [@Datseris](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Datseris)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2026, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/the-climate-impacts-and-ethical-considerations-of-ai-use/138875/42 "2026-08-19T11:51:29Z")

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This recent report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows some very concerning climate-related impact of planned AI usage and data centers etc in the US. According to the report, if the USA plans proceed, they would generate the equivalent of close to **double the CO2 from the entire combustion of jet fuel in the USA.**

My understanding is that these professionally calculated numbers on the overwlehmingly negative environmental impact of AI are substantially higher than any of the members here have attempted to calculate.

Report summary: [New gas power plants for AI: Enormous CO2 increase feared | heise online](https://www.heise.de/en/news/New-gas-power-plants-for-AI-Enormous-CO2-increase-feared-11418731.html)

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**Author:** ![mbauman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mbauman/32/31082_2.png) [@mbauman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mbauman)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/the-climate-impacts-and-ethical-considerations-of-ai-use/138875/43 "2026-08-23T00:00:35Z")

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