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Artificial Intelligence: We usually consider artificial intelligence a part of the digital world, but there's an aspect of it that's directly linked to the environment.

Artificial Intelligence: We usually consider artificial intelligence a part of the digital world, but there's an aspect of it that's directly linked to the environment. A new 2025 research study claims that the water used to power AI systems could now exceed the total global consumption of bottled water. Furthermore, the carbon emissions associated with AI are estimated to be equivalent to those of a large city like New York this year. If these figures are even close to accurate, the increasing demand for AI poses a significant warning for the environment.

How Does AI Consume Water?

You might have heard recently that AI is consuming water or that AI is depleting water resources. In reality, AI itself doesn't drink water, but the machines and data centers that power it use a tremendous amount of water. This is why the issue is being discussed.

When ChatGPT, Google, or any AI system operates, it relies on massive data centers. These data centers house thousands of servers that constantly generate heat. Cooling systems are used to keep them cool, and this cooling process consumes millions of liters of water. In some places, this water goes directly into water cooling systems, while in others, the water used in electricity generation also contributes to the overall consumption.

Training AI models also requires a lot of energy. When large companies develop new AI models, their servers run at full capacity for weeks or months. During this time, not only does electricity consumption increase, but a huge amount of water is also consumed in generating that electricity and cooling the systems. According to one estimate, some AI tasks indirectly consume a few milliliters of water even for answering a single question.

What Does the Research Say About AI's Environmental Impact?

This peer-reviewed study is published under the title "The carbon and water footprints of data centres and what this could mean for artificial intelligence." This research was led by Dutch researcher Alex de Vries-Gao. The study focused on the data centers that run AI systems and consume vast amounts of energy and water. The research also acknowledged that obtaining precise figures is difficult because companies do not differentiate between AI and non-AI workloads in their environmental reports.

How were the estimates made?

Due to the lack of direct data, the researchers adopted a different approach. They analyzed environmental reports, average emission figures, and water consumption data from data centers belonging to large tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon. Based on this, they estimated how much electricity and water are required to handle AI workloads.

Carbon emissions equivalent to New York City, water consumption exceeding bottled water

According to the study, the carbon emissions from AI systems alone could range from approximately 32.6 million to 79.7 million tons of CO₂ in 2025. This amount is considered equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of a large metropolis like New York City. The water consumption figures are even more startling. AI-related data centers could use approximately 312 to 764 billion liters of water annually, which is more than the total amount of bottled water consumed worldwide in a year. This clearly shows that AI is becoming a major issue not only for energy security but also for water security.

Daily use, not training, is the main culprit

A key finding of the research is that the greatest environmental impact comes not from training AI models, but from their daily use, or inference. When users ask questions, generate images or videos, and digital assistants work around the clock, it puts a heavy load on data centers. Millions of requests lead to a rapid increase in electricity and water consumption.

Better technology, but the impact is not decreasing

Surprisingly, despite efforts to make data centers more energy-efficient, the overall environmental impact is not decreasing. The reason is clear: the use of AI is growing so rapidly that all attempts at improvement fall short. In simple terms, the technology is improving, but its use is expanding even faster.

It's no longer accurate to consider AI merely as software.

Two major points emerge from this study. First, AI should no longer be viewed simply as software. Just as environmental regulations apply to telecommunications, aviation, and heavy industries, the AI ​​industry should be subject to the same level of scrutiny. The second crucial point is transparency.

The research states that if companies do not openly share data on the energy and water consumption associated with AI workloads, it will be difficult to formulate effective policies. Without clear information, neither conservation nor proper future planning is possible. This study clearly indicates that the future of AI will not be determined solely by its intelligence, but also by how sustainable it proves to be for the planet.