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Amazon To Test AI-Created Material For Carbon Capture In Data Centers

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Amazon is stepping up its environmental efforts by testing a groundbreaking carbon-removal material for its data centers. The company, which is tackling the growing emissions linked to the artificial intelligence systems powering these centers, has partnered with Orbital Materials, a startup that used AI to design the innovative substance.

Jonathan Godwin, CEO of Orbital Materials, explained that the new material acts like an atomic-level sponge, with cavities precisely sized to capture CO2 without interacting with other elements. This targeted approach could be a game-changer in carbon filtration.

One of the appealing aspects of the new material is its cost-effectiveness. Godwin estimates that the material could account for just 10% of the cost associated with renting a GPU chip for AI training, significantly less than the price of traditional carbon offsets.

Meanwhile, the demand for energy in data centers is rising, as AI’s rapid development requires more power and cooling solutions. This surge poses a challenge for Amazon, which is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s largest cloud provider by revenue, plans to begin piloting the AI-designed carbon removal material in one of its data centers starting in 2025. This initiative is part of a three-year collaboration with Orbital, which will also gain access to AWS’s technology and open-source AI tools for further development.

Howard Gefen, General Manager of AWS Energy & Utilities, stated that the partnership would promote sustainable innovation, but financial details remain undisclosed. Orbital, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey, and London, began its journey about a year ago by setting up a lab to synthesize AI-designed materials. The startup aims to work with AWS to test additional AI-generated solutions, addressing water usage and cooling requirements in data centers. Godwin co-founded Orbital, which currently employs 20 people and is supported by investors such as Radical Ventures and Nvidia’s venture arm. Before this, Godwin contributed to materials science work at Alphabet’s DeepMind until 2022.

Sanders Seeks To Block Social Security Garnishment For Student Debt

by News Editor

Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed legislation that would prevent the federal government from withholding Social Security benefits from older Americans and people with disabilities to repay defaulted federal student loans.

Sanders announced the Stop Social Security Garnishment Act on Monday. The bill is backed by Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and is expected to be formally introduced when the Senate returns next month.

Millions Of Borrowers Are In Default

Nearly 9.5 million federal student loan borrowers were in default as of March, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data. Sanders said nearly one in four borrowers cannot repay their loans and could face wage or Social Security garnishment.

Around 9.6 million borrowers aged 50 and older hold nearly $457 billion in outstanding student debt, according to Education Department data.

Collections Remain Paused

The proposal comes as the Trump administration has paused involuntary collections from borrowers in default.

In June 2025, the administration said it would not reduce Social Security benefits for affected borrowers, reversing an earlier plan to resume collections after pandemic-era protections ended. In January, the Education Department also announced a delay in wage garnishment and other involuntary collections while new repayment options were being implemented.

Borrowers in default have meanwhile been given more time to rehabilitate their loans and return to repayment.

What Sanders’ Bill Would Change

If passed, the legislation would prohibit the government from garnishing Social Security retirement and disability benefits to repay federal student loans. The measure would also protect older borrowers from forced collections that could affect their ability to pay for healthcare, medicine and other basic needs.

“In the richest country in the history of the world, no senior should have their Social Security payments taken away from them to pay back student debt,” Sanders said.

The proposal would not erase student debt, but would prevent Social Security benefits from being used to collect it.

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