Google sent a jolt of unease into the climate change debate this month when it disclosed that emissions from its data centers rose 13% in 2023, citing the "AI transition" in its annual environmental report. But according to Jeff Dean, Google's chief scientist, the report doesn't tell the full story and gives AI more than its fair share of blame.
Dean, who is chief scientist at both Google DeepMind and Google Research, said that Google is not backing off its commitment to be powered by 100% clean energy by the end of 2030. But, he said, that progress is “not necessarily a linear thing" because some of Google’s work with clean energy providers will not come on line until several years from now.
