AI’s growing energy and water use sparks environmental concerns

Washington: The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is significantly increasing global energy and water consumption, raising concerns among experts about its environmental impact as the world works to combat climate change and water scarcity. AI systems and the data centres that power them require vast amounts of electricity and water, particularly for cooling, yet experts say many companies do not disclose the full scale of their resource use. As a result, each AI-driven query adds to the environmental footprint. “AI is going in the opposite direction to decarbonisation efforts,” said cognitive computer scientist Sasha Luccioni, co-founder of the Sustainable AI Group. She warned that frequent, unnecessary use of AI tools could undermine environmentally conscious lifestyles. Experts say individuals can play a role in reducing the impact by limiting their use of AI, particularly for simple tasks such as calculations, directions or basic searches that do not require advanced processing. “The cleanest form of AI use is no use,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. They also recommend keeping queries concise, as longer and more complex inputs require greater computing power and, in turn, more energy and water. Global data centres consumed an estimated 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity last year, according to a United Nations University report, and that figure is expected to more than double in the coming years. By 2030, the electricity used by data centres alone could require nearly 2.5 trillion gallons of water for cooling, equivalent to supplying the world’s drinking water needs for more than a year. The widespread integration of AI into everyday digital tools has also made it more difficult for users to avoid it. Experts note that many search engines now generate AI-based responses automatically, requiring users to opt out if they wish to reduce usage. While some alternative platforms aim to lower their environmental impact, specialists emphasise that greater transparency from technology companies is needed. Without clearer data on resource usage, consumers have limited ability to make informed decisions. Despite the concerns, experts acknowledge that AI will continue to play a major role in modern life. They say the key lies in balancing its benefits with more responsible use and encouraging industry accountability to minimise environmental costs.