Google is opening an AI hub in oil-rich Saudi Arabia

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Google might be lagging in its climate goals, but that isn’t stopping the tech giant from building a new AI-focused data center in fossil fuel-dependent Saudi Arabia.

The new AI hub will support research into Arab language AI models and “Saudi-specific AI applications,” according to an announcement from the Saudi Public Investment fund and Google. Aramco, the state-owned petroleum company, says it currently uses AI throughout its operations. At one oil field, the technology has helped boost production by 15%.

Google said in 2020 that it would stop developing algorithms for oil and gas production and in 2021 committed to cutting its emissions in half by the end of the decade. A Google spokesperson told E&E News that the new deal “comports” with its existing pledge.

Neither Google nor the Saudi Public Investment fund said what “Saudi-specific AI applications” might look like. But given fossil fuels’ central role in the Saudi economy, it’s possible that AI algorithms run out of the data center will be applied to oil and gas production.



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Lisa Holden
Lisa Holden
Lisa Holden is a news writer for LinkDaddy News. She writes health, sport, tech, and more. Some of her favorite topics include the latest trends in fitness and wellness, the best ways to use technology to improve your life, and the latest developments in medical research.

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