UN report: Data centers' energy use rivals entire nations, set to double by 2029 as AI grows
By
Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer
Summary
A United Nations University report reveals that global data centers consumed 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity in 2025, surpassing all but 10 countries. The report warns that water and energy use and pollution from data centers will double within four years due to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, making their environmental footprint comparable to that of entire nations.
Source
bskyUN report: Data centers' energy use rivals entire nations, set to double by 2029 as AI growswyff4.comKey quotes
· 3 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
their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows
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