🌱Smarter Tech, Cleaner Futures?
👋 Welcome! This Tuesday, we look at AI’s growing environmental footprint—its energy demands, water use, and climate risks—alongside its potential to drive sustainability. Let’s start the day with clarity, care, and responsibility!
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AI & TECH
AI’s Growth vs Green Costs – Global firms are ramping up AI spending, even as data centers drive up energy use and sustainability concerns mount. Over half of companies believe AI’s benefits outweigh its environmental toll, but experts warn that without governance and smarter deployment, rising costs and ecological strain could outweigh short-term gains. The debate highlights a growing tension between rapid innovation and responsible growth.
Microsoft Hit by Cable Cut – Microsoft confirmed multiple subsea cables in the Red Sea were severed, disrupting Azure and regional internet traffic between Asia and Europe. Customers reported recent latency spikes with temporary rerouting now in place. Repairs may take time, raising concerns over growing risks to global infrastructure as undersea networks face heightened exposure amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
OpenAI Bets on Critterz Film – OpenAI is backing Critterz, a $30 million animated movie built with GPT-5, expected to premiere at Cannes in 2026. Partnering with Vertigo Films and Paddington in Peru writers, the project blends AI tools with human actors and artists. The film aims to showcase how AI can accelerate production timelines and challenge Hollywood’s high-cost animation model.
Meta Accused of Hiding VR Risks – Whistleblowers allege Meta suppressed research showing children face grooming and other dangers in VR headsets. Internal documents presented to Congress suggest legal teams discouraged tracking child users to avoid regulation. Meta denies the claims, but lawmakers are set to examine the allegations this week as scrutiny over kids’ online safety intensifies.
🚀 Got an Idea? Pitch It!
Clemson University is hosting the 1st Blake Family Military & Veterans Pitch Competition—a national showdown where military-affiliated founders (veterans, cadets, reservists, spouses, and more) pitch their next big thing for a shot at $12K in funding.
📝 Apply by: Oct 10
📍 Live Finals: Oct 31 @ Clemson’s Brook T. Smith Launchpad
Why it’s worth it:
✨ $12K for the winning pitch.
✨ Cash prizes from $1K to $10K for the other top 4 ideas.
✨ Face-time with VCs + angel investors
✨ A chance to launch or level-up your venture
✨ Networking with other ambitious builders like you
This isn’t just another competition—it’s your stage to show what’s possible when grit meets innovation.
👉 Ready to innovate?!
CAREER & WORK
AI Threatens Entry-Level Jobs – Entry-level postings in the U.S. have fallen 35% since 2023, with young workers hit hardest. Experts warn AI may permanently reshape the career ladder, eliminating the traditional “start low, rise high” path. While some see opportunities in upskilling, others fear the bottom rung disappearing could leave new graduates struggling to enter the workforce.
Americans Grow Anxious About Jobs – A New York Fed survey shows rising fears about unemployment and difficulty finding new work, with job-loss risk hitting its highest since 2013. Confidence in the labor market slipped as payroll growth slowed and unemployment rose to 4.3%. The gloomy outlook is fueling expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week.
Medicare Costs May Impact Workers – Medicare Advantage enrollment jumped from 37% of beneficiaries in 2018 to 54% in 2024, fueling cost pressures on insurers. Higher premiums, reduced benefits, and perk cutbacks are likely ahead. These changes could reshape workplace benefit strategies and leave employees under greater pressure to budget for rising healthcare expenses.
ECONOMY & FINANCE
China EV Growth Slows – China’s EV and hybrid sales rose just 7.5% in August, the weakest pace in 18 months. Overall auto sales climbed 4.9%, the slowest in seven months, as authorities push to cool price wars. Analysts expect further deceleration in the fourth quarter despite strong gains from Geely, Xpeng, and Nio.
France’s Debt Woes Deepen – France’s government collapse killed plans for a $51.7 billion deficit cut, leaving debt at 114% of GDP and borrowing costs now higher than Greece and Spain. Political deadlock chills spending and investment, while markets brace for Fitch’s upcoming credit rating decision amid fears France is becoming Europe’s new fiscal weak link.
Lula Pushes BRICS Trade Unity – President Lula called for stronger BRICS trade and financial ties to offset U.S. tariffs and protectionist measures. At a virtual summit, Lula decried “tariff blackmail,” with India and China backing similar concerns. Leaders pledged deeper cooperation as global trade tensions intensify.
VC & FUNDING
Koah Raises $5M Seed Round – Adtech startup Koah secured $5 million to bring advertising into AI-powered apps, offering developers a path to monetize beyond subscriptions. Already serving ads in Luzia, Heal, Liner, and DeepAI, Koah reports clickthrough rates of 7.5% and early partners earning $10,000 monthly.
Motion Secures $38M Series C – Y Combinator-backed Motion raised $38 million in a 5x oversubscribed Series C led by Scale Venture Partners, valuing it at $550 million. The startup offers an integrated suite of AI agents for SMBs, aiming to become the Microsoft Office of AI-driven productivity tools.
BIG THINK
AI and the Environment: Risk, Reward — and the Road In Between
We tend to think of AI as digital and weightless, yet it demands startling amounts of physical resources. A recent estimate projects that by 2028, AI data centers could consume up to 1,068 billion liters of water annually—an elevenfold increase from today’s levels—raising alarms about sustainability in water-stressed regions. Likewise, electricity demand from such centers is soaring so sharply that some now rival small cities in their energy use—raising urgent questions about how we power the AI revolution.
Still, AI isn't just a strain on nature—it’s also a tool for its rescue. From weather prediction models enhancing climate resilience to smart agricultural systems that optimize water and fertilizer use, AI is already helping reduce ecological footprints in critical areas. These innovations remind us that technology’s greatest power may lie in helping us steward our world more responsibly and effectively.
But the path isn’t worry-free. Efficiency gains can trigger what economists call the “rebound effect”: making services cheaper may increase consumption overall, wiping out environmental benefits. And while companies like Google tout efficiency improvements—such as Gemini AI prompts using energy comparable to a Google search—experts caution that these claims often sidestep the much heavier costs tied to training and infrastructure.
Amid these trade-offs, environmental justice has entered the dialogue. The NAACP has issued new guiding principles, urging AI developers and data center operators to disclose energy and water usage, ensure efficiency standards, and commit to community benefits—especially where marginalized communities bear the brunt of environmental risk. This highlights that choices around AI environmental impact aren’t just technical— they’re deeply political.
In the end, AI needn’t be a burden—or a fantasy. It can be a clarifying mirror for our ecological values, pushing us to design smarter systems, power them sustainably, and ground tech in accountability. The real question isn’t whether we can build with AI—it’s how we choose to build. And when guided by both innovation and care, AI may well help humanity become a better steward of our shared home.
Actionable Insights
Demand environmental data disclosure—advocate for regulations or frameworks that require public reporting of AI systems’ water, energy, and carbon footprints.
Direct AI toward climate goals—support development of AI-driven tools that optimize renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate responses—without allowing efficiency to mask excess.
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES
Global Business Development Manager | Part Time | Year-round | Hybrid
Network Automation Engineer | Full Time | Columbia, SC | In Person
Epic Professional Billing Analyst III | Full Time | Boston, MA | Hybrid
IT Senior Software Engineer | Full Time | Erie, PA | In Person
Python Developer (Gen AI + Java) | Full Time | Mississauga, ON, Canada | Hybrid
Entry Level AI Data Annotator | Contract | San Antonio, TX | In person
Reporting Analytics - Data Specialist | Full Time | Columbus, OH | Hybrid
Have a job or opportunity to share? Post for free here and we will highlight a few each week!
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THE NUMBER:
kilometers is the total length of all submarine cables ever laid, including inactive ones. Stretched out, they’d wrap around Earth’s equator more than 42 times!
WISDOM:
“The energy spent trying to get revenge can better spent creating an amazing life.”