Study: AI's Environmental Impact Reaches New Highs in 2025 with Significant Carbon and Water Footprints
By
Justine Calma
If you only eat one bagel today, this is the bagel.
Summary
A new study reveals that AI's environmental impact has reached alarming levels in 2025, with carbon emissions comparable to New York City and water consumption equivalent to global bottled water usage. The research highlights the growing electricity and water demands of AI data centers, but notes that the findings are likely conservative due to limited public data and lack of transparency from tech companies about their AI infrastructure's environmental toll.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledAI created as much carbon pollution this year as New York City and guzzled up as much H20 as people consume globally in water bottles, according to new estimates.
The study paints what's likely a pretty conservative picture of AI's environmental impact since it's based on the relatively limited amount of data that's currently available to the public.
A lack of transparency from tech companies makes it harder to see the potential environmental toll of AI becoming a part of everyday tasks.
AI data centers are using growing amounts of electricity and water, research shows, although companies aren't divulging many details.
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