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Google’s massive AI expansion in Finland has come at an astonishing environmental cost. About 250,000 trees have been cut down at a planned data center site, and Finnish authorities have ordered the company to stop work while environmental assessments are completed.
According to a new investigation published Thursday by The Guardian, Google cleared approximately 330 hectares of forest in Muhos, Finland, as part of a 13 billion euro investment in AI infrastructure. That’s an area larger than 450 American football fields.
And that’s just one place. Environmental experts estimate that another 150,000 trees were removed at a second location in Otanmäki, bringing the estimated total to around 400,000.
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The controversy raises difficult questions about the environmental price of the AI boom, especially as Google, Microsoft and other technology companies race to build the infrastructure needed to develop increasingly sophisticated AI models.
What happened in Finland?
Google announced its €13 billion investment in September, describing the expansion as its largest single investment in Europe. The company promoted the economic opportunities and the environmental commitments with the project.
But the construction plans soon ran into trouble. According to Finland’s national broadcaster Yle, authorities have ordered Google’s subsidiary, Tuike Finland, to stop environmentally significant work at its planned data centers in Muhos and Kajaani until mandatory environmental impact assessments are completed.
Deforestation has cut down more than trees. Workers also removed topsoil, built roads and modified drainage systems, potentially affecting the environment.
The Guardian reports that residents are raising concerns about the mud flowing into the waterways connected to the Oulujoki River.
Google initially claimed that its forestry activities complied with Finnish law. However, the company’s Finland manager, Antti Järvinen, later apologized for the clearings, explaining that Google believed it was operating within the rules.
The company also outlined plans to plant trees over 130 hectares in Muhos as part of its biodiversity efforts.
Behind services like Gemini and ChatGPT are huge data centers filled with powerful processors. These facilities require land, electricity, cooling systems and supporting infrastructure.
Finland is attractive to technology companies because of its relatively cool climate, available land and energy resources. Cooler temperatures can help reduce the electricity needed to overheat servers.
But that doesn’t eliminate the environmental impact of building new facilities. Forests absorb carbon dioxide, support wildlife and help regulate local ecosystems. Clearing hundreds of hectares to make way for computing infrastructure raises questions about how companies balance AI development with their environmental obligations.
There is also the question of who benefits. While the construction of new data centers can bring jobs, tax revenue and investment to communities, residents can also face environmental disturbances and concerns about future electricity costs.
The bottom line
Google is not alone in building huge new data centers to support AI, and the technology’s growing demand for computing power means more projects are likely.
The controversy in Finland shows that the environmental consequences go far beyond the electricity of running an AI chatbot.
Google has promised investments in sustainability and biodiversity, but replacing hundreds of thousands of mature trees is not as simple as planting new ones.
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