The Real Cost of AI: Who’s Paying for the Compute Arms Race?

The AI boom isn’t just about innovation — it’s a compute arms race with billion-dollar cloud bills, scarce GPUs, and a massive environmental footprint. In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike pulls back the curtain on the hidden price tag of building and running today’s most powerful AI models. From skyrocketing hardware costs and cloud provider lock-in, to the staggering electricity and water demands of data centers, this is the side of AI you don’t hear about in press releases. Drawing on over 15 years of experience in the Engineered Environmental sector, Mike explains how these costs trickle down to businesses, consumers, and even local communities — and what can be done to make AI cheaper, greener, and more sustainable. If you’ve ever wondered who’s really footing the bill for artificial intelligence — and how it might come back to you — this episode is a must-listen. 📖 Read the full write-up: The Real Cost of AI: Who’s Paying for the Compute Arms Race?