AI Loves Climate Change

The warming world is good news for tech companies looking for more customers

Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash

Here in Southern Ontario, Canada, it was 32C (89F) today, July 8. When the other factors like humidity are added in, it felt like 39C (102F), at least according to my weather app. But the same app didn’t flash a heat warning, like it did last week when temperatures neared 50C (122F) with the adjustments. Apparently, “feels like” 39C is the seasonal norm now in parts of Canada, including mine.

It’s giving pandemic lockdown vibes, especially when it should be busiest outside. I don’t cross many people on foot these days while walking my dog, which has become less frequent because both of us are panting by the end. There are, of course, people in cars, but even they seem to be more spaced out.

Climate lockdown

What I’m trying to say is that it appears more people are staying inside due to the summer heat. When people stay inside for extended periods of time, like during a multi-day heat warning here last week, they want to be entertained. And there are only so many shows on Netflix.

Likely, many people will start experimenting with AI as they are forced indoors to avoid heat stroke. And of course, tech companies will make the experience as juicy as possible for them to come back, whether it’s offering up an AI companion, or telling them how great they are in general.

My neighbourhood recently. It felt about 45C outside when I snapped this midday, and not a soul in sight. Photo by Jeff Hayward

The bottom line here is that climate change is good for business when you’re counting on people to use your online product. Of course, many remote and office workers are now being forced into using AI tools to do their jobs, or have “AI” added to their titles. But instead of going out for after-dinner ice cream that will melt immediately, more people will start exploring this brave new digital world–not just young adults who are already leading in AI adoption.

While many consumer-facing AI tools are free at a basic level, they also offer beefed-up subscriptions. If people aren’t spending money on ice cream, maybe they’ll pay the AI platform to unlock more features. I mean, ChatGPT only charges $11/month for “longer conversations” — that’s only like two ice creams. Okay, one double-scoop cone.

I realize what I’m saying might sound a little like a conspiracy: AI companies are heating up the world so more of us stay inside, glued to our chatbots and video generators. They might not have a secret plan, but the result will be the same: more money. ChatGPT started earning $10 billion in recurring revenue as of June 2025, while handling more than 2.5 billion prompts per day last year. That’s a lot of data processing, which demands more data centers.

As mentioned, the richest people benefiting from all this aren’t thinking about the quality of life for the average users, no more than a cigarette company cares about smokers. These AI giants will soon go public, fuelling even more growth, and soon, only those with status and/or disposable income will be able to access the newest and most powerful AI models, models that could cause damage to governments and corporations in the wrong hands.

In the meantime, we’ll crank up our A/C, risking power outages, especially if there’s a data center sucking most of the juice from the electricity grid. And cities with data centers aren’t safe from blackouts during the winter months, either–even if they store power in batteries like in Texas. And more A/C usage in hotter conditions will only accelerate global warming, notes this study posted on Nature.com.

Screenshot of The Weather Network App, July 8, 2026

Rising temperatures are bad news if you don’t have an air-conditioned home, which many in my city do not. These are also the people who are rallying hard against a data center being built on our city’s waterfront, whose efforts may be all for naught if Ontario overrules a local decision to put a hold on data centers until proper policy can be put in place.

If the center does go ahead, it’s likely residents closest would feel the effects of a “heat island”, regardless of whether the data campus is cooled using water from our bay. Developers don’t care because they will likely be in their spacious air-conditioned homes in another region. However, many people with modest incomes cannot just pick up and leave, and selling a home due to a nearby problem everyone’s aware of is not an easy task.

A vicious cycle and the same old patterns

So, to sum it all up: it’s already too hot for many people in Canada to go outside during a heat wave, which will keep them inside more. When they’re inside, they’ll search for more entertainment, perhaps turning to recreational AI. The tech companies will profit from more subscriptions and public investment, which will result in more data centers, which will heat up the cities they’re in. Those using more A/C may contribute to blackouts, leaving them sweltering until the grid is back online.

Canada is already warming in many regions well above the global average, and a leading environmentalist has told us it’s too late to reverse the effects of climate change. The fight against data centers is especially tough, as the federal government is offering funding for sovereign data buildings.

Meanwhile, the upper class of AI will be in their comfortable homes, climate-controlled private jets, and water-cooled yachts, collecting bundles of revenue. They’re not lying when they say AI will change the world, but in much different ways for the overlords and the subscribers.