Google has announced plans to establish a new data center in Saudi Arabia focused on artificial intelligence, sparking questions about its climate goals. Despite Google's pledge in 2020 to halt the development of algorithms for oil and gas production and its commitment in 2021 to reduce emissions, the company has chosen to build a new data center in Saudi Arabia, a country heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
The new AI hub will support research into Arabic AI models and "Saudi-specific AI applications." State-owned oil company Aramco has stated that AI is currently used throughout its operations. In one oil field, the technology has helped boost production by 15%.
Neither Google nor the Saudi Public Investment Fund has disclosed the specifics of the "Saudi-exclusive AI applications." However, given the central role of fossil fuels in Saudi Arabia's economy, the AI algorithms running in the data center could potentially be applied to oil and gas production.
A Google spokesperson said the new agreement "aligns with" its existing commitments, but this has raised questions about its climate goals. It remains to be seen whether Google's decision will impact its climate objectives.
