Nvidia scientists propose AI robots to fight fires, sparking environmental controversy

As wildfires rage in California, a scientist at Nvidia, the world's largest artificial intelligence chip maker, has proposed using AI robots to fight wildfires. However, this suggestion has raised questions about the environmental impact.

Nvidia's "embodied AI" researcher Jim Fan posted a video on social media X (formerly Twitter) showing a humanoid robot walking on the streets of China. In his comments, he praised the robot's "style" and called on such robots to "be put into firefighting operations as soon as possible."

However, while the Los Angeles area was experiencing fires, Nvidia demonstrated some energy-intensive generative AI technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, such as its "Neural Face" technology, which it claimed could span "uncanny" valley,” which transforms the faces of video game characters. This display of technology, which comes at a huge cost in terms of energy consumption, feels deeply out of place when, just a few hours away in Los Angeles, people are facing the threat of losing their homes and lives.

New research from the University of California, Riverside and the California Institute of Technology shows that AI technology is not only consuming large amounts of water in data centers, but has also begun to increase carbon emissions and water consumption. While the study focuses on the impact of AI on public health, it warns that environmental problems will only get worse as the technology develops. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking trillions in infrastructure investment to support the future of the industry he envisions.

Nvidia scientists' proposal to use AI to solve the problem of fires caused by climate change is reminiscent of oil companies selling so-called "carbon credits" to offset greenhouse gas emissions, a practice that has also been criticized. Although AI companies are not currently the largest polluters in the world, if the industry continues to grow at the current rate, environmental problems will become more serious in the future, and there is no doubt that the earth will face more disasters.