Artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly lauded as a game-changer in the fight against environmental crises, with its capacity to track methane emissions, monitor illegal sand dredging, and more.
Behind AI’s potential lies an energy-hungry infrastructure. Data centers, the lifeblood of AI operations, require and consume significant amounts of electricity and water, generate hazardous e-waste, and depend on earth minerals mined through unsustainable practices. With AI’s rapid expansion, the strain on our planet is only to increase, raising questions about its long-term impact.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is leading efforts to address this concern. UNEP’s Chief Digital Officer, Golestan Radwan, emphasizes the need to balance AI’s potential with its environmental costs, ensuring its deployment is ultimately a net positive for the planet.
AI’s transformative ability to analyze patterns, predict outcomes, and detect anomalies makes it a powerful ally in addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Projections indicate AI-related infrastructure could soon consume water equivalent to six times Denmark’s annual usage, even as billions of people lack basic water access.
AI represents both hope and challenge in the environmental situation. Its role as a solution must not come at the expense of its own ecological footprint. With innovative strategies and global cooperation, AI can chart a more sustainable course forward—turning potential pitfalls into opportunities for a greener future.
