AI Is Supercharging the World’s E-Waste Crisis

Generative artificial intelligence and the complex web of infrastructure needed to support it is fueling a surge in e-waste.
AI Is Supercharging the World’s E-Waste Crisis
An artificial intelligence chip made by Tongfu Microelectronics, displayed during the World Semiconductor Conference in Nanjing, China, on July 19, 2023. STR/AFP via Getty Images
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As tech firms continue rolling out their latest artificial intelligence (AI) systems, a mountain of old electronics is piling up behind the scenes. According to experts, the technology, with its frequent hardware upgrades and difficult-to-recycle components, is accelerating the world’s garbage crisis.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the world’s fastest-growing solid waste streams, according to the World Health Organization. Since 2010, a year marked by the launch of Apple’s iPad, humans have been steadily producing greater volumes of e-waste.
Autumn Spredemann
Autumn Spredemann
Author
Autumn is a South America-based reporter covering primarily Latin American issues for The Epoch Times.
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