Global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure is fuelling a significant increase in production of PFAS — synthetic chemicals known as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment — as companies scale up their use for cooling datacentres and manufacturing semiconductors. Belgian chemical firm Syensqo (a 2023 spin-off of Solvay) is expanding output of two PFAS variants, PVDF and PFPE, with a major new PVDF plant under construction in the US state of Georgia and increased PFPE production at its facility in Spinetta Marengo, Italy; Japan's Daikin plans to triple its PFAS output by 2027, while US giant Chemours has developed a new PFAS coolant it says will help "revolutionise" AI computing, and is seeking fast-track approval from US environmental regulators under a Trump executive order prioritising chemicals used in AI and datacentres. Environmental groups warn that while liquid-immersion cooling using PFAS can reduce water and energy consumption compared with conventional methods, the chemicals pose serious risks if systems leak or are improperly decommissioned, with some variants acting as potent greenhouse gases and others accumulating in ecosystems — concerns that 17 environmental organisations formally raised in July in opposition to the fast-tracking of Chemours' new product.