U.S. Executive Order Acknowledges Health Risks of Data Centers

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In a recent executive order, former President Joe Biden recognized the public health risks associated with data centers, infrastructure essential for artificial intelligence (AI). The order mandates that such facilities not be built in areas with a high cancer risk from air pollution, as outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 AirToxScreen. Shaolei Ren, an associate professor from the University of California, highlighted that this order marks the first official acknowledgment of data center health impacts.

The data center industry is rapidly expanding, exacerbating concerns over energy consumption and pollution. Ren estimates health costs from pollution linked to AI-related data centers reached between $17 billion and $29 billion from 2019 to 2023, contributing to at least 1,100 premature deaths during the same period. He expressed that data centers are becoming significantly more polluting than previously recognized, potentially exceeding emissions from California's vehicle fleet by 2028.

The executive order aims to minimize health impacts by strategically locating energy-intensive processes away from densely populated areas, which may reduce related medical expenses by 30% when followed.

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