A recent United Nations study highlights a sharp rise in indirect carbon emissions from four major AI-driven technology firms—Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta—showing a 150% average increase between 2020 and 2023. This spike stems largely from the enormous energy demands of powering data centers that fuel artificial intelligence applications.

The report, published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)—the UN’s digital technology agency—explains that indirect emissions include carbon generated from purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling used by these companies. Among them, Amazon experienced the steepest rise at 182%, followed by Microsoft at 155%, Meta at 145%, and Alphabet at 138%.

Tracking 200 top digital firms over the three-year period, the ITU revealed that AI’s rapid expansion is a significant driver of growing energy consumption worldwide. The report warns that data centers supporting AI development could strain current energy systems due to their intensifying electricity needs.

“The surge in AI growth is causing a dramatic jump in global power demand, with data centers’ electricity use rising four times faster than overall consumption,” the report stated.

While many digital corporations have set emission reduction goals, the ITU noted that these pledges have yet to result in meaningful decreases in actual carbon footprints.

Meta, which operates Facebook and WhatsApp, referred to its sustainability report highlighting ongoing efforts to cut emissions, energy use, and water consumption in its data centers.Other companies had not immediately commented.

Looking ahead, as AI investment continues to grow, emissions from the highest-emitting AI systems could reach an estimated 102.6 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually, underscoring the environmental challenges tied to the technology’s rapid advancement.