“If AI is to help build a better future, it must be honest about what it costs us now”: UN urges AI giants to reveal full extent of environmental damage

UN calls on AI companies to declare environmental cost of AI
New energy projects and data centers contribute to pollution
The UN is establishing an environmental transparency initiative to provide insight into the impacts of water use, carbon emissions and land use.

Numerous studies on the direct and indirect impact of AI have predicted that this technology damages local and global environments and contributes to human-caused climate change.

But the extent of the damage should be made public by the AI companies themselves, the United Nations said.

Speaking at Climate Action Week in London, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “If AI is to help build a better future, it must be honest about what it is costing us today. »

Revealing the full environmental cost of AI

“By 2030, they could consume more electricity than all but five countries – and enough water to meet the basic needs of sub-Saharan Africa’s 1.3 billion people for an entire year,” he said.

His speech (via PK Press Club) also included the launch of the UN AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, which provides AI companies with the ability to publicly disclose water, environmental impacts of their water use, carbon emissions and land use.

Some AI companies have agreed to commitments to net zero emissions and decarbonization through renewable energy projects, but these commitments are largely voluntary and do not expose companies to any repercussions if they fail to meet their targets.

This situation has been exacerbated in the United States – where many of the largest AI companies operate – where President Trump has rolled back environmental commitments, obstructed planned renewable energy projects, repealed fossil fuel generation construction legislation, and even deleted the US government’s entire record of climate resources.

With AI now accounting for 80-90% of the world’s computing resources, plans to build new data centers have exploded to meet demand. Many sites have turned to natural gas turbines to provide their power, which has been associated with health problems and neurological symptoms among local populations. In other areas, data centers have been linked to neighboring energy grids, causing bills for local residents to skyrocket.

The total environmental cost of AI is not known, but estimates for the United States put the total cost at around $25 billion per year, which includes health costs for residents living in polluted proximity to data centers. The UN hopes the AI Environmental Transparency initiative will provide direct insight into the fiscal, human and environmental costs of AI.

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