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UN Report: AI Boom Drives 150% Surge in Tech Giants’ Indirect Emissions

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A new United Nations report revealed on Thursday that indirect carbon emissions from the operations of four major AI-driven tech giants—Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta—rose by an average of 150% between 2020 and 2023. The sharp increase is largely driven by the vast energy demands of data centers powering artificial intelligence systems.

The report, published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the U.N.’s digital technologies agency, analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions of 200 leading digital companies over the three-year period. Indirect emissions include those generated from purchased electricity, heating, cooling, and steam consumed by a company’s operations.

Among the companies surveyed, Amazon posted the largest rise, with operational carbon emissions soaring 182% over the period. Microsoft followed with a 155% increase, while Meta and Alphabet saw rises of 145% and 138%, respectively.

The growing reliance on AI has led to surging energy demands, with electricity consumption from data centers growing four times faster than overall global electricity usage, according to the ITU. The report projects that carbon emissions from top-emitting AI systems could eventually reach 102.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, further straining existing energy infrastructures.

In response, several companies highlighted their ongoing sustainability efforts. Meta referred Reuters to its sustainability report, stating that it is taking steps to reduce emissions, energy use, and water consumption in its data centers. Amazon emphasized its investments in carbon-free energy projects, including both nuclear and renewable sources. Microsoft pointed to its recent progress in improving energy efficiency, including transitioning to chip-level liquid cooling technologies that consume less energy than traditional cooling systems.

However, the ITU noted that while more digital companies are setting ambitious emissions targets, many of these commitments have yet to translate into meaningful reductions in actual emissions. The report underscores the growing challenge of balancing AI’s rapid expansion with environmental sustainability.

Meta AI Discovery Feed Allegedly Exposes Users’ Private Chat Content

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Meta’s AI app Discover feed is reportedly showing users’ private chats and personal requests, unintentionally shared with the public. Numerous reports have surfaced revealing that conversations and image prompts, often highly personal, are visible in the app’s social feed, sparking privacy concerns. This unexpected exposure has alarmed users and privacy experts alike, who are questioning Meta’s handling of sensitive user information.

According to a TechCrunch investigation, the Discover feed includes posts where users seek help with sensitive issues such as tax evasion, legal character references, and even medical symptoms like skin rashes. These deeply personal queries appearing in a public space suggest that users may be accidentally sharing private details more widely than intended, raising red flags about the app’s privacy safeguards.

Journalists and privacy advocates have echoed these concerns. Wired’s Senior Correspondent Kylie Robinson reported seeing posts with sensitive questions about personal relationships, while Calli Schroeder from the Electronic Privacy Information Center noted encounters with shared medical records, mental health details, home addresses, and information linked to court cases. Such disclosures in a public feed put users at risk and highlight potential flaws in Meta’s privacy design.

Though some users might knowingly post content publicly, the nature of many of these private questions suggests inadvertent sharing. Additional reports include users uploading selfies originally intended for private chatbot edits, some involving minors, further emphasizing the risks. Social media users on platforms like X have shared screenshots of these disclosures, intensifying calls for Meta to strengthen privacy protections and clarify how user content is shared within the AI app.

Google Reportedly Planning to Split from Scale AI Following Major Meta Agreement

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Google, long recognized as the largest customer of data-labeling firm Scale AI, is reportedly planning to sever its ties with the startup following news that Meta will acquire a 49% stake in the company. According to five sources familiar with the matter, the move signals Google’s discomfort with a key rival gaining influence over a major supplier of critical AI training data.

One source revealed that Google had intended to pay Scale AI approximately $200 million in 2025 for labeled datasets essential to training its advanced AI systems, including those that power Gemini—Google’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, the announcement of Meta’s substantial investment has prompted a strategic reassessment. This week, Google began preliminary discussions with several of Scale AI’s competitors, exploring options to shift that work elsewhere.

Meta’s stake in Scale AI, which now values the company at $29 billion—up from $14 billion prior to the deal—adds complexity to Scale’s future. The potential loss of Google’s business represents a significant setback, particularly given Scale’s reliance on a small group of major clients. As Meta absorbs key figures from Scale, including CEO Alexandr Wang and select team members, the startup may face turbulence in maintaining continuity and independence.

Despite the upheaval, Scale AI maintains that its operations remain solid. In a statement, a company spokesperson emphasized its strong relationships with corporate and government partners and reaffirmed its commitment to data security and customer confidentiality. The company declined to discuss the status of its partnership with Google.