U.S. government agency sounds alarm on AIs toll on environment, humanity

Generative AI's impact on the environment is still deeply understudied, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and its human effects are just as unclear.

In the latest of several AI technology assessments conducted by the GAO — a nonpartisan agency that provides audits and evaluations to Congress, executive agency leaders, and the general public upon request — the legislative office outlined multiple human and environmental risks posed by the tech's unhampered development and widespread use.