AI’s Carbon Hangover

Hi there, Change-makers!

What happens when the race to dominate AI outpaces our ability to measure its impact? Google’s emissions are up 48% since 2019, Microsoft’s up 30%, and yet both are still clinging to Net Zero messaging like it’s a mood board. Meanwhile, chatbots are making up books, and the Big Four consulting firms are quietly being undercut by AI-native competitors. The AI ecosystem is growing up fast—and not always in the direction enterprises hoped. Let’s get into it.

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AI’s Climate Cost Is Surging—And Big Tech Is Missing the Mark

Turns out, building the future comes with a hefty power bill. MIT Technology Review just dropped a damning report: Big Tech’s AI ambitions are blowing past emissions pledges. Google’s emissions are up 48% since 2019, and Microsoft’s are up 30%—even as both double down on Net Zero goals.

Key takeaways:

• AI training and inferencing are now major contributors to rising emissions.

• Data centers and water usage are spiking globally—especially in low-regulation areas.

• Corporate climate goals are looking more like PR campaigns than real metrics.

Reality check: The more LLMs we use, the more carbon we generate, unless we rethink infrastructure, model efficiency, and location strategy. ESG-conscious orgs need to get proactive now, or risk getting called out by shareholders, regulators, or worse…LinkedIn thought leaders. *Shudders*

What to Watch: AI’s Coming for the Big Four

EY, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG are under quiet pressure: internal AI tools are automating high-margin tasks like audit prep, compliance checks, and client reporting.

Translation:
AI is creeping up the consulting value chain. Fast.

Enterprise impact:
Startups with strong AI workflows can now compete with top-tier firms. If you're still outsourcing to the "safe bet," you might be overpaying for what a smart stack could do faster and cheaper.

In the News

• Google's Gemini Ultra 1.5 just landed in Google One AI Premium. The most powerful version yet includes longer context windows and better code reasoning.
  Read More →

• Microsoft Build 2025 kicked off with a focus on AI agents and the "Open Agentic Web." Microsoft wants every interface to be AI-aware, AI-embedded, and interoperable.
  See Updates →

• AI may disproportionately impact women’s jobs, especially in education, administration, and healthcare, per a new WEF report.
  Get Report →

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TL;DR:

• AI’s climate footprint is rising fast. Greenwashing won’t cut it.

• Chatbots are still hallucinating, and it's getting published.

• Consulting’s old guard is vulnerable to smarter AI-native challengers.

• Microsoft and Google are racing to dominate the agent layer.

• Women’s roles are more at risk from AI than men’s; strategy needs to catch up.

Stay sharp,

Cat Valverde
Founder, Enterprise AI Solutions
Navigating Tomorrow's Tech Landscape Together