The AI boom has triggered a significant environmental crisis, with 2025's CO2 emissions equaling those of New York City. A recent study estimates that AI-related water usage now surpasses global bottled water demand, highlighting the technology's rapid environmental impact. The research, conducted by Dutch academic Alex de Vries-Gao, reveals that AI's carbon footprint could reach 80 million tonnes in 2025, surpassing previous estimates. This surge in emissions is attributed to the soaring use of chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. The study calls for stricter transparency from tech companies regarding their climate impact, emphasizing the societal burden of these costs. The figures are published in the journal Patterns, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that AI-focused datacentres consume as much electricity as aluminium smelters, with a projected 100-200 new facilities in the UK alone. This frenzy raises concerns about massive carbon emissions and the need for reliable power sources, as India's National Grid reliability is questionable. Technology companies' environmental disclosures are often insufficient, and Google's recent report on Gemini AI's impact excludes water usage in electricity generation. The IEA's data underscores the public's financial burden for the environmental costs of tech giants, with the largest AI-focused datacentres consuming electricity equivalent to 2 million households.
