London: United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has called on artificial intelligence companies to be more transparent about the environmental impact of their operations, warning that the rapid growth of AI technology could place significant pressure on the world's energy, water and climate resources in the coming years.
Speaking during London Climate Action Week on Monday, Guterres said the environmental costs associated with AI development are often overlooked despite the technology's growing influence on economies and societies around the world. He urged technology companies to openly disclose the energy, water and land resources required to operate the vast data centres that power artificial intelligence systems.
The UN chief launched a new Artificial Intelligence Environmental Transparency Initiative aimed at encouraging greater accountability across the technology sector. He said companies should provide clear information about the environmental footprint of their AI infrastructure and work towards running all data centres on renewable energy by the end of this decade.
Guterres warned that the expansion of AI is creating an unprecedented demand for computing power. As companies race to develop more advanced AI models, they are investing billions of dollars in large scale data centres that require enormous amounts of electricity and water. He noted that if current trends continue, global data centre electricity consumption could reach levels comparable to some of the world's largest economies by 2030.
According to projections cited by the United Nations, data centres may consume more electricity than all but the five largest countries within the next few years. The organisation also warned that water usage by data centres could rise dramatically as companies expand cooling systems needed to keep powerful computer servers operating efficiently.
Recent research from United Nations experts has reinforced these concerns. A study released earlier this month estimated that electricity and water consumption by AI driven data centres could double by 2030. Researchers found that artificial intelligence is becoming one of the fastest growing sources of energy demand within the technology sector.
The study suggested that AI currently accounts for around one fifth of data centre electricity use worldwide. However, that share could increase substantially over the coming years as businesses, governments and consumers adopt more AI powered tools and services.
Water consumption has emerged as another major concern. Data centres rely heavily on cooling systems that often require large quantities of water. Researchers estimate that AI related infrastructure could consume trillions of litres of water annually by the end of the decade. Environmental groups have raised concerns that many new facilities are being built in areas already facing water shortages and drought conditions.
The environmental debate has intensified as major technology companies continue expanding their AI capabilities. Industry leaders including Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta have announced significant investments in new data centres to support growing demand for artificial intelligence services. However, critics argue that the environmental consequences of this expansion are not always fully disclosed.
A United Nations backed report released last year found that indirect emissions from several major technology companies rose sharply between 2020 and 2023, largely due to increasing energy requirements linked to artificial intelligence and cloud computing operations.
Despite the concerns, experts acknowledge that AI also has the potential to support climate action. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to improve energy efficiency, monitor environmental changes, predict extreme weather events and accelerate scientific research related to clean technologies.
Guterres stressed that technological innovation and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand. He said artificial intelligence can deliver important benefits for humanity, but its development should not come at the expense of global climate goals.
The United Nations is expected to continue working with governments, technology companies and environmental organisations to develop common standards for reporting the environmental impact of AI systems. The new transparency initiative is seen as an important step toward ensuring that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence remains compatible with efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable development.
As the AI revolution continues to reshape industries around the world, pressure is likely to grow on technology firms to demonstrate that innovation can advance without placing an unsustainable burden on the planet's resources.