IBM makes head-turning decision about its technology that could have global impact: 'This is an incredibly exciting time'
Tech giant IBM, which has operations in 150 countries, is improving its AI and data centers to help address environmental concerns.
As Technology Magazine detailed, IBM gets almost 75% of its data center power from renewable fuels, and as many as 28 of those facilities rely 100% on clean energy.
The company has also developed AI chips that use 14 times less energy than previous ones. These efficient chips still operate at a high capacity, which helps "leaders understand and respond to environmental changes," as Christina Shim, IBM's chief sustainability officer, told Technology Magazine.
IBM's other eco-friendly moves include expanding the work its Granite AI model does for environmental applications, such as Kenya's national reforestation program.
The country's Mau Forest lost 19% of its tree cover between 2001 and 2022, according to Mongabay. The Kenyan government was able to use insight from IBM's AI model to help plant 15 billion trees.
Meanwhile, in Denmark, the company's predictive maintenance technology helped prevent unnecessary reconstruction that extended the Great Belt bridge and tunnel project — critical to the first ground-based connection between Denmark and Sweden — by 100 years. This prevented the release of 750,000 tonnes of polluting carbon gases in the area.
"This is an incredibly exciting time to lead IBM's strategy around sustainability," Shim told Technology Magazine.
It's no secret that technology — especially AI — often requires a lot of power. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centers consume 10 to 50 times more energy per floor than an entire standard office building.
A major company like IBM using clean, renewable power sources for this technology means a reduced risk of environmental chaos, like extreme weather conditions and habitat destruction.
IBM is avoiding greenwashing labels with quantifiable worldwide advances that are not just marketing slogans. By 2023, the company reached a milestone two years ahead of schedule by reducing operational polluting gases by 65%.
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Reduced emissions aid in the fight against the planet's rising heat and harsher weather patterns. Meanwhile, better air quality achieved by cutting polluting gases and particulate matter creates a less toxic environment that reduces the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illness, as well as some cancers.
Other mainstream brands are supporting eco-friendly initiatives. For example, the NBA has collaborated with Trashie to help fans earn rewards for recycling old clothes. Elsewhere, Ecofrico has designed fashionable bags made from 100% hemp.
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