Panel at University of Scranton warns of AI data centers' environmental impact on air, water, land

At "The High Cost of AI" program hosted at the University of Scranton, panelists engaged with community members to discuss the significant environmental repercussions of artificial intelligence and data center expansion. The discussion underscored the potential negative effects on air, water, and land quality. Josephine Gingerich, one of the speakers, proposed a three-year moratorium on data center construction, arguing it would allow technology to mature and mitigate the risk of creating "stranded assets." The panel also explored strategies to curb data center development in the region, advocating for amendments to local legislation, given the increasing number of proposed data centers throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.