SZA took a public stance against the use of artificial intelligence on Wednesday, citing that the technology contributes to environmental racism. She called out the pollution generated by AI and its impact on Black and brown communities in the U.S. Her sentiment echoes previous investigations on the issue, as well as activists who have raised the alarm on the impact of AI on the environment.
SZA said she is ‘deeply concerned’ about AI
On Wednesday, SZA took to social media to express her thoughts on the technology and the way it is being developed.
“Please google how much energy and pollution it takes to run Ai,” she wrote in a comment on Instagram, which she then shared on her Story, according to Billboard. “Please google the beautiful black cities like Memphis that are SUFFERING because of twitters new Ai system.”
“PLEASE JUST GOOGLE ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM,” she added. “AI doesn’t give a f–k if you live or die I promise. THERE IS A PRICE FOR CONVENIENCE AND BLACK AND BROWN [people] WILL PAY THE BRUNT OF IT EVERY-TIME.”
The day before, SZA had already used her public platform to raise the issue: “AI is killing and polluting Black and Brown cities. None of you care ‘cause [you’re] codependent on a machine. Have a great life,” she said, according to Complex.
“I really meant this and I’m deeply concerned .. pls care,” she concluded, according to Rolling Stone.
AI has been subject to debate in recent years
Its use and role have been questioned in relation to education, mental health and the creative industries. Although the ethics of AI are a topic of discussion, studies have shown that the development of artificial intelligence data centers poses a risk to the environment. These centers run on high amounts of water and “a staggering amount of electricity, which leads to increased carbon dioxide emissions and pressures on the electric grid,” according to MIT.
SZA also referred to the issue as being a form of environmental racism, which is defined by the Natural Resources Defense Council as “the intentional siting of polluting and waste facilities in communities primarily populated by African Americans, Latines, Indigenous People, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, migrant farmworkers, and low-income workers.”
In her comments, SZA made a reference to the installation of an artificial intelligence facility in Memphis last year by Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI. Not only was the facility found to be one of the largest air polluters in the county, but it is also located near historically Black neighborhoods that have already been affected by high rates of cancer, asthma and shortened life spans, according to The Guardian. Boxtown is one of the communities that has been faced with poor air quality due to a nearby industrial plant, as well as emissions from a facility that did not receive the proper permits, per the NAACP.
“We cannot afford to normalize this kind of environmental injustice, where billion-dollar companies set up polluting operations in Black neighborhoods without any permits and think they’ll get away with it,” NAACP president Derrick Johnson told The New York Times.