{
  "id": 6478711,
  "title": "Yes, AI companies are gambling with our lives, but not only in the way you think",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/yes-ai-companies-are-gambling-with-our-lives-but-not-only-in-the-way",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-09T20:59:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91604660/yes-ai-companies-are-gambling-with-our-lives-but-not-only-in-the-way-you-think"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "AI researcher Jacob Coxon recently cautioned on X that tech giants OpenAI and Anthropic are \"gambling with our lives\" through their development of self-improving superintelligence. However, Coxon's warning extends beyond the realm of superintelligence, as the rapid advancement of AI is already impacting human health. The environmental consequences of AI data centers and the increased use of fossil fuels to power them are contributing to health issues worldwide.\n\nAccording to a report by the United Nations University, by 2030, AI data centers will consume as much water as 1.3 billion people. Moreover, their energy demands will surpass the combined annual electricity usage of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, home to over 650 billion people. A significant portion of these data centers will rely on fossil fuels, which are a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions.\n\nMaria Fernanda Chavez, a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, points out that in the absence of regulations, the climate, health, and environmental impacts of AI data centers are already becoming apparent. She warns that irresponsible management of AI development could lead to increased emissions, hindering climate goals and negatively affecting people's lives and livelihoods worldwide.\n\nBig tech companies, such as Google and Microsoft, are heavily investing in AI, causing a rise in their corporate emissions. Microsoft, for instance, reported a 25% increase in emissions in 2025 due to expanding AI data centers. A single Microsoft data center fueled by natural gas could contribute to a 44% surge in emissions. These emissions worsen climate change, leading to dangerous disasters like heat waves, floods, and storms. However, the infrastructure that generates these emissions also has localized effects, such as air pollution.\n\nMichael Cork, an environmental health scientist and founder of EmPower Analytics Group, emphasizes that the health costs of powering AI are immediate and not merely a future concern. To accommodate the growing electricity demand, data centers are driving up the need for new gas power, on-site gas turbines, and diesel generation. In the United States, AI growth has spurred such demand that the country now has nearly three times the amount of gas-fired capacity under construction compared to China.\n\nThe air pollution from these sources poses direct threats to human health, leading to premature deaths, heart attacks, and asthma attacks in children. Proximity to these facilities often exposes communities to disproportionately higher impacts. Environmental health expert Cork stresses that air pollution has tangible health consequences, which are currently being overlooked in decisions about the location and construction of data center infrastructure.",
  "summary": "When AI researcher Jacob Coxon warned on X that OpenAI and Anthropic are “gambling with our lives,” he was talking about the threat of “self-improving superintelligence,” technology that can hack anything and “acquire real power.” But that’s not the only threat from the AI boom. Our rapid development of AI is already threatening humans when it comes to our health, due to the environmental impacts…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}