Experts warn of dangerous hidden impacts of AI facilities: 'We cannot manage it'
As artificial intelligence continues its rapid growth, experts warn about the environmental impacts of the data centers powering it — and the lack of transparency from tech giants running the show.
What's happening?
As covered by the Guardian, the London-based National Engineering Policy Centre released a February 2025 publication calling for officials in the United Kingdom to mandate these companies to report AI-related energy use, water use, and carbon emissions. This would give a better picture of AI's consequences for the planet.
"AI providers must be transparent about these effects," Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, an AI professor at the University of Southampton and chief executive of Responsible AI UK, explained. "If we cannot measure it, we cannot manage it, nor ensure benefits for all. This report's recommendations will aid national discussions on the sustainability of AI systems and the trade-offs involved."
Why is AI's carbon footprint important?
It's no secret that AI has seen unprecedented growth, seemingly overnight. While the "AI boom" has simmered on and off since the 1980s, per Tableau, OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT in 2022 kicked off a domino trail of similar generative AI models being released, putting AI in the hands of the public.
These days, people use AI for everyday tasks, from organizing grocery lists to drafting emails and more. But many AI users don't realize how resource-intensive the technology is, and the lack of transparency from tech giants isn't helping.
The truth is that AI uses massive amounts of dirty energy, which generates harmful gases that contribute to global warming. The International Energy Agency estimates the amount could double by 2026, meaning AI will consume as much energy as all of Japan. Systems powering AI consume large amounts of water, and AI's global demand is forecast to exceed the demand of half of the UK by 2027, Semantic Scholar revealed. This puts strain on water supplies for people, who all need clean water to survive.
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What's being done about AI's carbon footprint?
As AI grows, its demand for resources exponentially increases, leading to a surge in energy and water usage. The Guardian noted, for example, that Google in 2022 reported a 20% increase in water consumption from the previous year: a whopping 19.5 million cubic meters (5.2 billion gallons). Microsoft's usage jumped 34% to 6.4 million cubic meters (1.7 billion gallons).
While these numbers are a starting point, NEPC's report says governments should demand reliable data on the resources used across the AI lifecycle so sustainability policies can be implemented across the industry.
This isn't the first time experts have raised concerns about AI's negative effects and environmental impacts. Governments are working toward AI regulation, like the EU AI Act, which has some environmental protections. And California has proposed regulations requiring data centers to disclose their energy usage, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
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But leaders in the field say these policies barely scratch the surface. Without stricter laws, AI's carbon footprint will only grow, along with its hidden costs to the planet.
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Experts warn of dangerous hidden impacts of AI facilities: 'We cannot manage it' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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