Asbestos is a group of naturally-occurring fibrous silicate materials (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite). They’re flexible enough to be woven and heat resistant, so at one point, humans used them in…well, just about everything. From car parts (brakes, clutches, transmission parts, etc.) to packing materials, heat-resistant fabrics, and even toothpaste, asbestos has been used since the 1600’s.
Asbestosis (lung scarring created by the fibers) was known as early as the 1930s, yet the US accounted for 83% of asbestos usage between the 1920s and 1960s. In 1970, the EPA listed asbestos as an air pollutant and finally banned chrysotile asbestos in 2024.
We already know that data centers are gross polluters. The methane-powered turbines to power xAI in Memphis (despite xAI only having a permit for 15) draw enough energy to power 100,000 homes and have increased smog by 30-60%. It probably won’t surprise you to know that Memphis is a predominantly Black community with historically high rates of industrial pollution and related illnesses.
The irony of asbestos is that it was so dangerous precisely because we used it in almost everything. The explosion of “AI in everything” leads us to the same end; a mad rush to invest in unicorns rather than safety.
Chatbots have created a whole new problem, affecting youth and adults alike. Now AI can reassure us and make us feel seen. There’s documented harm directly attributable to these conversations.
Asbestos has been around for thousands of years; it’s not a villain on its own. It’s a warning written in blood about putting profit over accountability…and we’re already ignoring it.
Sources
- https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/asbestos/general.htm
- https://mesotheliomahub.com/mesothelioma/asbestos/history-of-asbestos/
- https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/07/a-billionaire-an-ai-supercomputer-toxic-emissions-and-a-memphis-community-that-did-nothing-wrong/
- https://www.wsj.com/tech/amid-san-franciscos-woes-elon-musk-plays-critic-fa98ab18
- https://www.security.org/resources/most-dangerous-cities
- https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/campaigns/safesound/blog/the-dark-side-of-ai-what-parents-need-to-know-about-chatbots
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/tech/character-ai-developer-lawsuit-teens-suicide-and-suicide-attempt
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3xgwyywe4o
