Why do some environmentalists fear that Artificial Intelligence may be the biggest threat

EarthTalk®

From the Editors of E – The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Why do some environmentalists fear that Artificial Intelligence may be the biggest threat to our efforts to stave off cataclysmic climate change? — Kyle Baldwin, Paris, TX

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a part of our everyday lives—we now have chatbots and search engines and virtual assistants that can mimic real conversation. But as AI technologies grow, so do environmental concerns. Environmental advocates warn that AI’s rising energy use, increased emissions from building infrastructure, and the potential to slow down clean energy efforts may become serious threats in our fight against climate change.

AI systems, including generative models like Stable Diffusion XL or ChatGPT, use tons of power to run. Creating a singular image can use as much energy as fully charging a smartphone. Multiply that by millions of users generating images and text daily, and the eco-impact grows fast. The International Energy Agency says that electricity uses from AI, data centers and cryptocurrency could double between 2022 and 2026. That’s like adding “at least one Sweden or at most one Germany” to global energy demand. AI also causes more pollution because of the buildings and equipment needed to run it. Big tech companies like Microsoft spend huge amounts of money—Microsoft plans to spend $50 billion in a year just to build more data centers, giant buildings full of powerful computers that use a lot of energy.

Building these data centers also calls for carbon-intensive materials: steel, cement and semiconductors that add even more emissions. These developments also go against company claimed climate promises. Microsoft, for example, pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. But according to NPR tech correspondent, Dara Kerr, “Microsoft has also reported surging emissions because of data centers. It says its greenhouse gas emissions are up nearly 30 percent since 2020.” Google also reported that AI has significantly increased its emissions, mainly because of the electricity that is used to power data centers.

One major concern is how we’ll meet this growing electricity demand. If fossil fuel plants are used to supply the energy needed for AI, it could roll back the progress made on cutting carbon emissions. While there’s hope that AI could push innovation in clean energy and efficiency, that path is very expensive and not fully guaranteed. According to Friends of the Earth, AI could in fact delay the clean energy transition if governments and companies fail to regulate it. Not all experts believe that AI is the biggest climate threat. Some argue that other sectors, like electric vehicles and factories, also drive up energy demand. Still, how we power and manage AI will determine whether it helps or harms the climate.

CONTACTS: We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard, https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/; Why AI uses so much energy—and what we can do about it, https://iee.psu.edu/news/blog/why-ai-uses-so-much-energy-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.

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