Ai wastes water and is harmful to the environment.

Question

The main claim stated above was supported within the article. The sources John Naughton used to demonstrate that computing power for AI models requires an increasing amount of natural resources were credible. One was Ireland’s government reporting agency, the Central Statistics Office, which is a primary source. Another was a research article by David Mytton, a professional in this field. The claim that computing AI models consume more natural resources over time is supported by data from both Mytton’s research and the Central Statistics Office.

The Guardian

Central Statistics Office link:https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dcmec/datacentresmeteredelectricityconsumption2022/keyfindings/

David Mytton's Article: https://rdcu.be/erHqL

Answer 1

Claim: "AI wastes water and is harmful to the environment."
Verdict: Partially true, but the claim oversimplifies a complex, evolving picture.

There’s no denying that AI systems, particularly the large-scale data centers that power them, consume substantial amounts of water, primarily to cool server hardware. According to the UN Environment Programme, “AI-related infrastructure may soon consume six times more water than Denmark... when a quarter of humanity already lacks access to clean water and sanitation” (UNEP, 2024). The sheer volume of water use raises concern, but calling it “waste” glosses over a more complex reality.

Water use is not inherently “wasteful,” it depends on context. Whether AI’s consumption constitutes waste is contingent on factors like regulatory oversight, the ability to recycle or replenish water, and where the data centers are located. In some regions, “training... a single AI model... can lead to the evaporation of an astonishing amount of fresh water” (Harvard Business Review, 2024), making the environmental impact deeply local. Siting AI facilities in drought-prone regions, for example, can exacerbate water scarcity and disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.

Yet, it’s also worth noting that many companies are actively pursuing “water positive” goals by 2030 (Harvard Business Review, 2024), and distributing computational loads more equitably across global data centers can mitigate local harm (Harvard Business Review, 2024).

As for broader environmental impact, the energy footprint is significant. Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reported a 400% rise in data center electricity usage from 2015 to 2022. Yet regulation hasn’t kept pace: “Water usage receives even less regulatory attention” than emissions (MIT News, 2024).

In sum, AI's environmental toll is real, but whether it’s wasteful or net-harmful is still a matter of governance, technology design, and where we choose to draw the line.

Sources:

• UNEP: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ai-has-environmental-problem-heres-what-world-can-do-about

• MIT: https://mit-genai.pubpub.org/pub/8ulgrckc/release/2

• CSO Ireland: https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dcmec/datacentresmeteredelectricityconsumption2022/keyfindings/

• Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2024/07/the-uneven-distribution-of-ais-environmental-impacts

Comments

I like how you put your verdict, which helped show that while the claim was true, it was misleading and oversimplified. You state that the water usage is dangerous but depending on where the water waste is located.

Answer 2

This claim is partially true but also misleading. According to Forbes, "Tech giants have significantly increased their water needs for cooling data centers due to the escalating demand for online services and generative AI products. AI server cooling consumes significant water, with data centers using cooling towers and air mechanisms to dissipate heat, causing up to 9 liters of water to evaporate per kWh of energy used." By 2027, it is projected that AI's water usage could hit 6.6 billion m³, which is a major concern and needs to be dealt with. However, the overall impact varies by region, energy source, and data center efficiency. Many tech companies are investing in renewable energy and water-saving technologies to reduce harm. 

Additional Sources:

• - MIT News
• - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Answer 3

It is true that AI, more specifically, the data centers that run AI, do use a lot of water in order to function. Cooling systems are required because the data centers produce a significant amount of heat. Another factor is the sheer amount of data centers that are popping up. With the increase of AI use, many companies have decided to implement AI into their systems. With this, water usage has increased. However, not all data centers use the same amount of water. Google’s large data center averaged 2.1 million liters of water a day over the past year while smaller data centers used around 68,000 liters. This amount of water usage contributes to the scarcity of water that many regions already face.

Not only does AI use a lot of water, it also uses a lot of electricity. According to scientists at MIT, data centers in North America went from using around 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023. This amount of energy consumption causes harmful effects to the environment. The energy it is producing is fossil-fuel-based electricity which contributes to greenhouse gas admissions. The expansion of AI could accelerate climate change.

It is possible for AI to become more sustainable. Lawmakers have begun to introduce acts that would require AI developers and operators to report their energy consumption and resource use. This will enhance resource management for tech companies. Data centers have also started to relocate to regions where there are more abundant resources. These data centers can also switch to using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The source used by the user who posted this claim also talks about how it is possible for these data centers to lower their water use. David Mytton, the author of the article, states that the Microsoft and Google have started to publicly report their water and greenhouse gas usage. Mytton claims that this is likely due to the pressure from customers. 

All this to say, as it is now, the data centers that train and run AI are using a lot of water in an environment where clean water is a scarce resource. It also negatively affects the environment because of its large use of fossil fuels. However, as the public is becoming more aware of the effect AI has on the environment, companies are starting to change to more efficient and sustainable ways to run the data centers.

Sources:

https://cee.illinois.edu/news/AIs-Challenging-Waters

https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/qa-can-artificial-intelligence-growth-and-sustainability-go-hand-hand

Answer 4

It is true that the usage of AI employs large amounts of water and energy to run. One of the sources given states, “A medium-sized data centre (15 megawatts (MW)) uses as much water as three average-sized hospitals, or more than two 18-hole golf courses,” and “This has been the source of considerable controversy in areas of water stress and highlights the importance of understanding how data centres use water.” These two points alone could prove to someone that training and using AI is wasteful, considering the numerous other outlets water resources could go to. This same source also includes how “Google and Microsoft are leading in renewable energy, but even they are secretive about their water resource management.” Even though two large companies have focused efforts on renewable energy, they are still not being transparent about their water usage–one could ask why. “Making AI Less ‘Thirsty': Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models”, a paper conducted by multiple engineering researchers and professors, was published in Cornell University Tech’s scholarly research archive with notable points. The paper reads, “...the global AI demand is projected to account for 4.2 – 6.6 billion cubic meters of water withdrawal in 2027, which is more than the total annual water withdrawal of 4 – 6 Denmark or half of the United Kingdom. This is concerning, as freshwater scarcity has become one of the [world’s] most pressing challenges.” In addition, “ Even excluding the water usage in leased third-party colocation facilities, one technology company’s self-owned data centers alone directly withdrew 29 billion liters and consumed (i.e., evaporated) more than 23 billion liters of freshwater for on-site cooling in 2023…” One company using more than 50 million liters of water, and about half “evaporating”, many may say, is considered pretty wasteful.

The authors conclude by writing, “AI’s water footprint can no longer stay under the radar and must be addressed as a priority as part of the collective efforts to combat global water challenges.” So, in regards to this claim, is AI wasting water? There is evidence proving that AI usage does use an exponential amount of water, which is fair to be defined as too much. Although claiming whether or not the usage of AI is specifically “wasting water” does leave out complexities and other angles, organizations, tech companies, and governments will take on AI’s usage and its positives.

From the UN Environment Programme on how AI is harming the environment:

1. “They [AI data centers] rely on critical minerals and rare elements, which are often mined unsustainably. And they use massive amounts of electricity, spurring the emission of planet-warming greenhouse gases.”

2. “Data centres produce electronic waste, which often contains hazardous substances, like mercury and lead.”

From Better Planet Education:

1. “Every time you message ChatGPT, 4 grams of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere as a result of the 30,000 GPUs (graphics processing units) operating constantly in order to keep the servers online. … it [ChatGPT] has an estimated 123.5 million users per day. That is 494 billion grams of CO2 released from just ChatGPT alone. To visualise that nauseating figure, that is equal to 2,090 average trips out in the car.”

From the Harvard Business Review:

1. "The generation of electricity, particularly through fossil fuel combustion, results in local air pollution, thermal pollution in water bodies, and the production of solid wastes, including even hazardous materials."

This claim is true when it says AI is harmful to the environment. This is clear with the increase in carbon emissions/pollution, mining of minerals, and the amount of electricity used. To move forward with AI, “Making AI Less ‘Thirsty': Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models”, “[Recommends] increased transparency and comprehensive reporting of AI’s water footprint, and highlight[ing] the necessity of holistically addressing the water footprint along with the carbon footprint to build truly sustainable AI.” It’s crucial to recognize the impacts of AI and acknowledge possible solutions to 'build sustainable AI’ if that’s even possible. 

The Chief Digital Officer of the United Nations Environment Programme reminds us that, “There is still much we don’t know about the environmental impact of AI, but some of the data we do have is concerning.” 

Answer 5

This claim is true, Ai does use a lot of water to run, and is harmful to the environment, but this can be misleading. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) provides an article stating “Chilled water is used to cool a data center by absorbing heat from computing computing equipment. It has been estimated that, for each kilowatt hour of energy a data center consumes, it would need two liters of water for cooling.” With more companies implementing the use of AI into their systems, more data centers are being built, causing the use of water to rise. 

The next part of the claim says that AI is harmful to the environment, which is true. UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) states, “data centres produce electronic waste, which often contains hazardous substances, like mercury and lead.” The amount of fossil fuels and hazardous chemicals being released into the air is very harmful to the environment. The article stated above says, “A request made through ChatGPT, an AI-based virtual assistant, consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google Search.” By just asking ChatGPT to write a paragraph for you can be more detrimental to the environment than just a google search This claim is true, Ai does use a lot of water to run, and is harmful to the environment, but this can be misleading. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) provides an article stating “Chilled water is used to cool a data center by absorbing heat from computing computing equipment. It has been estimated that, for each kilowatt hour of energy a data center consumes, it would need two liters of water for cooling.” With more companies implementing the use of AI into their systems, more data centers are being built, causing the use of water to rise. 

The next part of the claim says that AI is harmful to the environment, which is true. UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) states, “data centres produce electronic waste, which often contains hazardous substances, like mercury and lead.” The amount of fossil fuels and hazardous chemicals being released into the air is very harmful to the environment. The article stated above says, “A request made through ChatGPT, an AI-based virtual assistant, consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google Search.” By just asking ChatGPT to write a paragraph for you can be more detrimental to the environment than just a google search.

Sources - 

MIT News

UNEP

Answer 6

This claim is true. AI uses tons of water and scare resources to function causing harmful materials like mercury and lead. As I was researching I was reading from the UN Environmental Program and the Elm. The UN Environmental Program focused on water scarcity from AI. "Globally, AI-related infrastructure may soon consume six times more water than Denmark, a country of 6 million, according to one estimate. That is a problem when a quarter of humanity already lacks access to clean water and sanitation". nWith the lack of water AI could potentially be harming the environment instead of helping it. I also was reading from Elm, which is published from the University of Maryland. "Electronic waste from data centers often contains hazardous substances like mercury and lead, which can contaminate soil and water when not disposed of correctly". With hazardous substances being released we are potentially contaminating the bit of clean water that we still have.

UN: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ai-has-environmental-problem-heres-what-world-can-do-about

Elm: https://elm.umaryland.edu/elm-stories/2025/Environmental-Considerations-for-Using-AI.php

Although the University of Maryland could have a bias against AI since students are using it to cheat, a lot of researchers had backed them up. The UN could possibly have a bias if they are struggling with not enough materials or water, therefore blaming AI. They could also both be into stopping climate change and saving the earth. As both of them mentioned, water is growing more scarce and all the droughts that have happened the past few years have been proving our water crisis. I contacted both sites through email and haven't gotten a response beside an automated email. Altogether AI has many befits in the world but it does cause harm to the environment. Moving forward we should work on coming up with more sustainable ways for AI.

Answer 7

AI use and exploitation is growing. The claim above is true; that AI development consumes a huge amount of water and is harmful to the environment. But the claim does not capture the full and ever evolving picture of what that means. AI is becoming a part of everyday life. Society has easy access to AI on devices like computers, phones, etc., and on numerous platforms. But it’s leaving a lasting and negative impact on our environment. In an article by the UN Environment Programme they discuss, “When it comes to the environment, there is such a negative side to the explosion of AI and its associated infrastructure, according to a growing body of research. The proliferating data centers that house AI servers produce electronic waste. They are large consumers of water, which is becoming scarce in many places. They rely on critical minerals and rare elements, which are often mined unsustainably. And they use massive amounts of electricity, spurring the emission of planet-warming greenhouse gases.” UN Environment Programme AI uses an abundance of resources that are becoming more environmentally destructive. They explain later in the article, “Data centers use water during construction and, once operational, to cool electrical components. Globally AI-related infrastructure may soon consume six times more water than Denmark, a country of 6 million, according to one estimate. That is a problem when a quarter of humanity already lacks access to clean water and sanitation.” UN Environment Programme The amount of water AI is using is causing deep concern. The need to install massive cooling systems for AI data processors is another whole set of problems when it comes to water usage and environmental toll. Excessive use of minerals and electricity are other issues that have surfaced. The use of electricity has surged as data centers are constructed and start running. “E-waste” as Earth.org calls it explains, “The e-waste produced by AI technology poses a serious environmental challenge. E-waste contains hazardous chemicals, including lead, mercury, and cadmium, that can contaminate soil and water supplies and endanger both human health and the environment.” The waste generated is becoming more dangerous to humans. They explain later in the article that the result of AI could eventually start to affect agriculture and the overuse of pesticides, harming the soil and water. The minerals being used to produce AI databases are testing environmental sustainability. The negative effects are going to continue growing. In research done by Penn State, they released an article indicating, “The environmental impact of AI extends beyond high electricity usage. AI models consume enormous amounts of fossil-fuel-based electricity, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions."  Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment They go on to explain that damaged hardware is discarded which causes electronic waste. AI is damaging our environment in a wide range of ways. The claim AI wastes water and is harmful to the environment is true, but many other factors contribute to the growing damage being caused.