The environmental cost of datacentres is rising. Is it time to quit AI? Highlight

One study published in the journal Patterns estimates AI’s global carbon footprint as 32.6 to 79.7m tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2025, and its water use as 312.5 to 764.6bn litres – similar to the global consumption of bottled water.

In Australia, the growth of datacentres for processing and storing AI data is forecast to slow the energy transition, grow emissions and increase power costs for consumers.

“That’s a lot of energy demand for unclear or small societal benefit,” Joshi says. “Compare that to the global benefit of video-calling technology, which has reduced flights and enabled communication during the pandemic.”