Microsoft wanted to be carbon negative. Then it went big on AI

Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact. Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations. Explore further: • Past episode with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on how to triple renewable energy by 2030 • Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert about the possibility of carbon capture • Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan on making zero emissions steel Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

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