Big Tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta are facing increased energy consumption and carbon footprints due to their AI buildout. Google's electricity consumption rose 37% in 2025 as it expands its AI infrastructure. The global AI industry's energy consumption may grow by 50% by 2025. The EU is considering relaxing its climate targets, but experts warn that this could be a 'carbon bomb' if not controlled.
In a different development, South Korean tech companies are using AI to help grieving families connect with deceased loved ones. AI-generated videos use photos and voice samples to create personalized messages. This trend raises questions about ethics and grief but provides comfort to those coping with loss.
Meanwhile, educational institutions like Columbia Business School are teaching leadership skills that AI can't replace. The course 'Leadership Intelligence in the AI Era' helps managers make informed decisions that consider both data and human factors. Digital marketing pioneer Neil Patel emphasizes that 'taste' - critical thinking and contextual judgment - is a crucial human skill in the AI-driven era.
Several companies are making significant advancements in AI. DeepSeek aims to build an AI agent for cybersecurity, while OpenAI's tax agent AI model learns from expert corrections to provide more accurate advice. Entertainment workers are taking on temporary jobs training AI models, which could potentially replace them in the future.
Lastly, Simplilearn has launched an AI-first skilling library with over 1,000 courses in AI, data science, and cloud computing. The US has imposed controls on US companies, limiting their ability to export certain technologies to China, creating a paradoxical situation that affects both countries' access to advanced technologies.
Key Takeaways
- Big Tech companies' AI buildout leads to increased energy consumption and carbon footprints.
- Google's electricity consumption rose 37% in 2025 due to AI infrastructure expansion.
- The global AI industry's energy consumption may grow by 50% by 2025.
- South Korean tech companies use AI to create personalized videos for grieving families.
- Columbia Business School offers a course teaching leadership skills that AI can't replace.
- Neil Patel emphasizes the importance of human 'taste' in the AI-driven era.
- DeepSeek aims to build an AI agent for cybersecurity.
- OpenAI's tax agent AI model learns from expert corrections.
- Entertainment workers are training AI models, which could potentially replace them.
- Simplilearn launches an AI-first skilling library with over 1,000 courses.
Big Tech's AI Boom Threatens Climate Goals
Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Meta are seeing increased energy consumption and carbon footprints due to their AI buildout. This surge in energy use may lead to a 50% growth in the global AI industry's energy consumption by 2025. The EU is considering relaxing its climate targets, but experts warn that this could be a 'carbon bomb' if not controlled. The tech industry must prioritize sustainable AI systems and reduce energy consumption.
Google's AI Expansion Drives Electricity Use
Google's rapid expansion of its AI infrastructure led to a 37% increase in electricity consumption in 2025. The company is working to balance its AI data center emissions with clean energy efforts. Google aims to power 100% of its operations with clean energy by 2025 and is investing in wind and solar power to achieve this goal.
The Dark Side of AI: Environmental Impact
The pursuit of AI by Big Tech companies like Amazon and Google is having a significant environmental impact. The companies' energy consumption and carbon footprints are increasing, and most of the growing carbon footprint comes from Scope 3 emissions, which include pollution from goods and services purchased or sold. The industry must prioritize sustainability and reduce energy consumption.
South Koreans Use AI to Connect with Deceased
In South Korea, bereaved families are using AI-generated videos to connect with deceased loved ones. The AI technology uses photos and voice samples to create personalized videos. While this trend raises questions about ethics and grief, it also provides comfort to those struggling to cope with loss.
AI-Generated Videos for Grieving Families
A South Korean tech company, Vaice, creates AI-generated videos for grieving families. The videos use AI to synthesize the deceased person's face and voice, allowing them to deliver personalized messages. The company serves around 300 customers a month, mainly people in their 40s or 50s who want videos of their late parents.
Teaching Leadership Skills AI Can't Replace
Columbia Business School offers a course called 'Leadership Intelligence in the AI Era,' which teaches managers to make informed, strategic decisions that take into account both data and human factors. The course helps students develop leadership intelligence, a skill that AI cannot replicate.
Why Taste Is a Skill AI Can't Copy
Digital marketing pioneer Neil Patel says that 'taste' is a crucial human skill for navigating the AI-driven era. Taste refers to critical thinking, contextual judgment, and the ability to discern quality from AI's diverse outputs. Patel believes that human taste will be essential in determining which AI-generated content is good and which is bad.
DeepSeek Aims to Build AI Agent for Cybersecurity
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek is hiring for roles that suggest it is building an AI agent with cybersecurity capabilities. The company aims to develop a model that can find vulnerabilities in code and identify attack surfaces. DeepSeek is shifting its focus from research to commercial AI development.
OpenAI's Tax Agent Learns from Experts
OpenAI's tax agent AI model learns from expert corrections, allowing it to improve and provide more accurate tax advice. The system involves practitioners reviewing and correcting the agent's work, which is then used to train the model. This approach enables the agent to provide safer and more reliable advice.
Entertainment Workers Turn to AI Training
Entertainment workers are taking on temporary jobs training AI models, which could potentially replace them in the future. The work involves evaluating AI outputs, such as scoring how likely a character is to laugh or determining whether dialogue feels believable. Some workers see this as a way to gain an inside perspective on AI technology.
Simplilearn Launches AI-First Skilling Library
Simplilearn has launched SkillUp, an AI-first skilling library that offers over 1,000 courses in AI, data science, cloud computing, and more. The platform provides personalized learning experiences and is designed to help learners bridge the skills gap in the age of AI.
US AI Model Controls and China's Tech Development
The US has imposed ad hoc controls on US companies, limiting their ability to export certain technologies to China. This has created a paradoxical situation in which the US is both limiting China's access to advanced technologies and also limiting its own companies' ability to export those technologies.
Lessons from Manufacturing Job Losses for AI
The collapse of manufacturing in the US offers valuable lessons for the AI crisis. By understanding the causes of the decline and the consequences of job displacement, we can take steps to mitigate the impact of AI on white-collar workers and ensure that the benefits of technological progress are shared by all.
Sources
- AI buildout upends emissions targets
- Google’s AI buildout drove 37% increase in electricity use in 2025
- A warning sign about AI’s real cost, courtesy of Google and Amazon
- Bereaved South Koreans try AI-generated videos of deceased loved ones
- Bereaved South Koreans try AI-generated videos of deceased loved ones
- Teaching the leadership skill AI can’t replace
- Why Taste Is The One Skill AI Can't Copy
- Job ads show DeepSeek aims for an AI agent with cybersecurity capabilities
- OpenAI's tax agent learns from experts
- Entertainment Workers Take On AI Training Jobs
- Simplilearn Launches SkillUp - The AI-First Skilling Library Built for the Age of AI
- Fable of the Mythos saga: Ad hoc US AI model controls could help China
- Manufacturing job losses offer lessons for AI white-collar crisis
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