UN report: Data centers' energy and water use rivals entire nations, set to double by 2028 as AI grows
By
Associated Press
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Summary
A United Nations University report reveals that global data centers consumed 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity in 2024, surpassing all but 10 countries, and produced about 208 million tons of CO2 — comparable to Argentina's emissions. The report warns that water and energy use and pollution from data centers will double within four years as AI adoption accelerates, raising concerns about the environmental sustainability of the AI boom.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world's largest countries.
Last year, global data centers used 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity, more than all but 10 countries of the world.
That electricity use produced about 208 million tons of carbon dioxide, about the same amount as Argentina.
Their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows.
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