Google, UC San Diego repurpose old phones into AI servers
Google and UC San Diego are giving old phones a second life by turning their processors into mini AI servers.
Instead of letting unused devices gather dust or add to e-waste, they're pulling out the motherboards, ditching the screens and batteries, and using them to power new AI projects.
It's a creative way to keep up with growing tech demands while being kinder to the planet.
Google plans Pixel phone data center
Repurposing phone parts cuts down on manufacturing waste, especially since these components make up 40% of a phone's embodied carbon.
Early tests show these recycled processors can handle real workloads for research and education.
Google's next big move? Launching a data center made from 2,000 reused Pixel phones by fall 2026, a step that tackles both e-waste (over 5 billion phones were tossed in 2022) and massive emissions from making new chips.