AI’s Hidden E-Waste Crisis and the Rise of CyberParent: The Growing Cost of Our Digital Lives

About this episode

The episode discusses the environmental impact of AI's hardware and features a startup's AI solution for cyberbullying.

The AI Boom Is Fuelling a New Wave of E-WasteArtificial intelligence may feel invisible, but the hardware powering it is very real - and short-lived. As companies race to deploy powerful AI servers, turnover of specialised chips and equipment is accelerating. Yet major tech firms rarely disclose AI-specific hardware figures, making it difficult to track where outdated machines end up. With less than a quarter of global e-waste recycled, the expansion of AI infrastructure could quietly add to a growing waste crisis - an angle we’re reporting on for the first time. The Digiconomist, Alex de Vries-Gao, explains his latest research.Can AI Also Be Part of the Solution? Tackling Cyberbullying in Real TimeWhile AI raises environmental concerns, it’s also being deployed to solve urgent social challenges. With more than one in three young people globally reporting experiences of online bullying, according to UNICEF, the need for early intervention is clear. Serbian startup CyberParent says its AI-powered app can detect signs of cyberbullying on a child’s phone and alert parents in real time - aiming to stop harm before it escalates. Nemanja Stojmenovic, founder of Cyberparent is on the…

People in this episode

Host: Ania Lichtarowicz

Guests: Alex de Vries-Gao, Nemanja Stojmenovic

Topics covered

• AI and e-waste
• cyberbullying
• environmental impact of technology
• AI solutions for social issues
• digital lives
• youth safety online

Keywords

• AI
• e-waste
• cyberbullying
• technology
• environment
• youth
• intervention
• digital safety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CyberParent, UNICEF

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