The Trump administration has revoked the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, eliminating restrictions from the Biden era for power plants. This deregulation, which reduces costs for the coal industry, coincides with an increase in electricity demand due to the expansion of data centers for artificial intelligence. Environmental groups criticize the measure, pointing out the risks of mercury, a neurotoxin linked to public health problems.
The Energy Paradox: Advanced Data Centers with Dirtier Energy 🏭
The infrastructure that powers the development of AI and high-performance computing requires a massive and stable electricity supply. To ensure it, the administration has ordered obsolete coal plants that were going to close to remain operational, reversing their decline against gas and renewables. This creates a contradiction: cutting-edge technology is boosted with an energy model from the past, increasing mercury emissions and other pollutants.
AI: Now with More Mental Shine Thanks to Mercury 🤔
It seems that the race for supremacy in artificial intelligence has a hidden plan. If mercury exposure affects neuronal development, perhaps we are facing a large-scale experiment to create new types of intelligences. While algorithms learn, humans might unlearn some things. It's a way to balance the scales, so that machines don't leave us so far behind. Pure Efficiency.