The Environmental Impact of AI
Madisen Kim '27
“Will future AI demands derail sustainable energy initiatives ?” asked John Edwards, technology journalist and author (Edwards, 2024).
As AI is both utilized more in modern society and popularized in mainstream media, many turn a blind eye towards the immense environmental impacts that come with it. According to the International Energy Agency, “consumption from data centers [that power AI models] has grown by at least 20%, and potentially up to 70%, between 2015 and 2022” (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025). Additionally, The Economist reports that “[o]n average, a ChatGPT query requires nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search,” and “AI generates millions of images a day. Just one image can consume as much energy as charging your phone” (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025).
The electricity that ChatGPT consumes is expansive and, consequently, detrimental to the environment. With sea levels rising and the deadline of irreversible climate change approaching rapidly, advancements to AI technology can inflict severe consequences on the planet.
According to Yuan Yao, an associate professor of industrial ecology at the Yale School of the Environment, “Powering computing systems for AI requires energy, such as electricity. Electricity generation emits pollutants, especially in regions where fossil fuels dominate electricity generation” (Yao, 2024). AI’s damage to the environment not only includes the massive amounts of electricity consumed, but also the harmful production of the hardware components required for AI to function. The production, along with the transportation of hardware, like servers and data centers, require additional energy and raw materials that only aggravates negative effects (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025).
Many people feel guilty for leaving their air conditioning (AC) on for a couple hours or days, especially if they are not in the house the whole time. Despite this, people do not think twice about looking up information on ChatGPT. Although many people know AI servers need energy to work, it is less known that AC and running water is used indefinitely to keep the servers cool and running (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025). With AI models developing and needing additional servers, people should be more alarmed with the increasing energy consumption.
In response to the catastrophic environmental impacts of AI, tech companies have responded by developing potential solutions.
For example, Google and Microsoft, two of the biggest tech corporations involved in developing AI models, are currently trying to combat the adverse effects of AI. Specifically, Google’s goal to reach net-zero emissions will apply to electricity in training and developing their AI model, Gemini. More recently, Google is planning to build seven small nuclear reactors to power their AI data center. Similarly, Microsoft made a deal that will restart a portion of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generation Station in Pennsylvania and help them decrease emissions from AI technology (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025).
Although AI is arguably not beneficial in preserving the environment, some leaders believe AI will be beneficial in the long run to increase sustainability overall. For example, Google’s chief sustainability officer Kate Brand argues that “AI can enable existing technology and solutions to get to a 10% reduction in global emissions by 2030” (Will AI Help or Harm the Climate?, 2025). Others, like Yao, believe that AI will help in monitoring the environment by “tracking air emissions” and “support process and supply chain optimization to minimize environmental impacts” (Yao, 2024).
As AI continues to advance society and gain widespread usage, it is important to acknowledge its adverse effects on the environment in order to use the tool consciously and appropriately.
References
Edwards, J. (2024, September 16). Will Future AI Demands Derail Sustainable Energy Initiatives? Informationweek.com.
https://www.informationweek.com/sustainability/will-future-ai-demands-derail-sustainabl e-energy-initiatives
Will AI help or harm the climate? (2025, April 9). The Economist.
https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/04/09/will-ai-help-or-harm-the-climate Yao, Yuan. 2024. “Can We Mitigate AI’s Environmental Impacts?” Yale School of the Environment. Yale University. October 10, 2024. https://environment.yale.edu/news /article/can-we-mitigate-ais-environmental-impacts.
Zewe, Adam. 2025. “Explained: Generative AI’s Environmental Impact.” MIT News. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. January 17, 2025. https://news.mit.edu/2025/ explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117.