8Energy & infrastructureBelow the top 20
E-waste from forced hardware refresh
CapabilityImpact domainCap-adjacent
Statement (NASA form)
Given that each generation of accelerators obsoletes the last long before it is worn out, there is a possibility of a waste stream of toxic, short-lived training silicon resulting in environmental harm concentrated near the people who never used the models.
Likelihood
3Probable
Consequence
2Minor
Urgency
2Planned
The residual is not only carbon. It is a pile.
Composite 8 = 3×2 + 2