Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella defends AI technology as 'cognitive amplifier tools' while critics blast the company for rushing deployment without considering environmental and economic consequences, setting up 2026 as a pivotal year for the technology's future.
AI systems now generate up to 80 million tons of carbon emissions annually, matching New York City's entire output, while consuming hundreds of billions of liters of water equivalent to global bottled water usage as tech companies resist transparency about their environmental impact.
House advances SPEED Act in narrow 215-209 vote to fast-track AI infrastructure permits for tech giants like OpenAI and Meta, while facing Republican infighting over presidential powers and environmental review reforms that slash lawsuit challenge periods from six years to just 150 days.
Geothermal startup Fervo Energy secures $462 million led by B Capital and Google to complete its massive 500-megawatt Cape Station plant in Utah, targeting 2026 to power Google's data centers while revolutionizing the industry by cutting well drilling time in half.
Scientists develop revolutionary soft robots inspired by Salmonella bacteria that power themselves using body heat and temperature differences as small as 2°C, operating battery-free for hours through molecular oscillations with potential applications in medical devices and environmental sensors.
Elon Musk's AI startup xAI secures $15 billion in funding, reaching a $200 billion valuation, while Musk simultaneously denies the reports as 'false' on X, creating confusion as the company faces criticism over its chatbot spreading misinformation and environmental concerns from energy-intensive data centers.
Meta breaks ground on a massive $1 billion data center in Wisconsin, creating 1,100 jobs while donating $15 million for local energy relief and committing to restore 570 acres of wetlands in an environmentally-conscious expansion to support AI operations.
Major technology companies are using non-disclosure agreements with local governments across 14 states to secretly develop AI data centers, preventing residents from knowing who is building in their communities and sparking revolts in places like Missouri and Arizona where transparency-starved citizens are enacting construction bans over concerns about utility costs …
Al Gore launches massive satellite surveillance system using 300 satellites and AI to track deadly soot pollution across 2,500 cities worldwide, identifying nearly 140,000 pollution sources including thousands of 'super emitters' that kill millions annually.
New research reveals AI models produce up to 50 times more CO2 emissions when tackling complex reasoning tasks, with philosophy questions generating six times higher emissions than simple topics, creating a stark trade-off between accuracy and environmental impact.