Tech's carbon footprint: can AI revolutionize responsibly?

WASHINGTON — Across the globe, data servers are humming, consuming both megawatts and precious natural resources to bring life to our digital world.

The planet's 8,000 or so data centers are the foundation of our online existence, and will grow ever further with the advent of artificial intelligence — so much so that research estimates that by 2025, the IT industry could use 20 percent of all electricity produced, and emit up to 5.5 percent of the world’s carbon emissions.