Artificial Intelligence: Organizations Across the Americas Urge the IACHR to Address the Environmental and Social Impacts of Rapidly Expanding Data Centers
Organizations from Chile, Mexico, and the United States addressed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to highlight the environmental and social impacts of rapid data center expansion, especially in Latin America. They criticized deregulation, conflicts of interest, and the shifting of digital economy costs to these regions, advocating for international standards and safeguards.
During a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington, D.C., organizations from Chile, Mexico, and the United States raised serious concerns about the environmental and social repercussions of the rapid expansion of data centers. They argued that the digital economy is shifting its environmental and social costs to Latin America, mirroring the negative impacts seen globally.
Lucio Cuenca, representing OLCA and Civic Action from Chile, highlighted Chile's strategic but vulnerable position as a supplier of critical minerals and a platform for large data centers. He criticized Chile's 'red carpet' regulatory approach, which allows data center infrastructure without mandatory environmental assessments and restricts community participation. Cuenca also cited a conflict of interest involving former Minister of Science Aisén Etcheverry, who had previously worked for Amazon Web Services, as an example of accountability failures.
Researchers Diana Baptista from Mexico and Matthew French from ClientEarth in the U.S. presented evidence on how large tech companies and local governments allegedly bypass environmental legislation, prioritizing data centers over human rights. They pointed to common patterns including confidential contracts for land, water, and energy, fiscal incentives lacking public scrutiny, weakened environmental assessments, and concentrated impacts on vulnerable communities already facing environmental crises.
In conclusion, the organizations urged the IACHR to assign its Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights to monitor this issue regionally and incorporate it into its strategic plan. They also called for a thematic report on digital infrastructure and human rights, requesting the establishment of standards for transparency, corporate accountability, comprehensive environmental assessments, and effective community participation. Additionally, they proposed strict legal safeguards and temporary moratoriums on new projects when serious risks or insufficient information exist.