Microsoft uses human poop to offset emissions from its AI empire

Microsoft has partnered with waste management firm Vaulted Deep in a 12-year agreement to offset 4.9 million metric tons of carbon emissions generated by its artificial intelligence operations. The company’s approach involves injecting a slurry of human and farm waste—including biosolids, manure, and food waste—5,000 feet underground into sealed rock formations. This method, which has been used for decades to manage industrial waste, effectively locks away carbon that would otherwise contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. For each ton of carbon sequestered this way, Microsoft earns carbon removal credits, helping it reduce its net emissions and advance its goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030. Vaulted Deep’s technique stands out because it leverages existing infrastructure rather than relying on slower or less scalable options like tree planting or direct air capture. The process also addresses environmental concerns associated with traditional waste disposal methods, such as nutrient runoff and methane emissions from land-applied biosolids. While the approach offers measurable climate and public health benefits