UN Report Warns AI Data Centers Will Consume Resources Equivalent to Billions of People by 2030
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Summary
A UN University investigation warns that by 2030, AI data centers will consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity (nearly triple the combined usage of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria), use water equivalent to the basic domestic needs of all 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and occupy over 14,500 square kilometers of land. The report highlights the severe environmental toll of AI infrastructure expansion, threatening natural resources for billions of people globally.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledBy 2030, the global data centres powering artificial intelligence are projected to consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity.
Their associated water footprint will equal the basic annual domestic water needs of all 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is nearly triple the combined annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria—countries collectively home to more than 650 million people.
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