UN report highlights environmental impact of artificial intelligence beyond CO2 emissions

A new report from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) argues that the environmental impact of artificial intelligence is currently underestimated. The study warns that measuring only CO2 emissions is insufficient, as it overlooks the massive consumption of water and land by data centers. According to the report, data centers consumed 448 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, with 20% attributed to AI, ranking them globally between Saudi Arabia and France in energy usage. Cooling systems for these facilities are projected to require 9.3 trillion liters of water annually, an amount capable of meeting the needs of 8.1 billion people for over 18 months. Research from the University of California at Riverside indicates that 10 to 50 AI chatbot queries can consume approximately two liters of water. UNU-INWEH Director Kaveh Madani emphasizes that the report is not anti-AI, but a call for responsible development to ensure sustainability. The findings highlight that efficiency improvements alone may not mitigate these impacts due to the rapid growth of the sector.