1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Digital WorldGlobal issues

In the Belly of AI

June 1, 2026

Magical, autonomous, all-powerful: Artificial intelligence fuels our dreams and nightmares. While tech companies promise us a better future, AI is already causing serious harm.

Futuristic depiction of a modern city skyline by the water, featuring tall buildings and luminous light beams rising from the city center; calm water is visible in the foreground – visual representation of a technology‑driven metropolis.
Image: Federation International

Huge data centers and server farms are required for AI programs to function.

Image: Federation International

These are paving over landscapes and consuming immense amounts of water and electricity — mostly from fossil fuels, and thus dirty energy sources. 

Image: Federation International

Millions of low-wage workers worldwide are busy feeding data to, and training, the algorithms for AI programs — often at the expense of their mental and emotional health. These workers, many of them young and living in the Global South, are exposed to all manner of harmful content to train AI models to detect such material.

Broadcasting Hours:

DW English

TUE 09.06.2026 – 01:03 UTC
TUE 09.06.2026 – 04:03 UTC
TUE 09.06.2026 – 10:03 UTC
WED 10.06.2026 – 09:03 UTC
WED 10.06.2026 – 14:03 UTC
WED 10.06.2026 – 21:03 UTC
THU 11.06.2026 – 07:03 UTC
THU 11.06.2026 – 12:03 UTC
SAT 13.06.2026 – 08:03 UTC
SUN 14.06.2026 – 13:03 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW

More stories from DW