AI data centres could consume water equal to needs of 1.3 billion people by 2030, UN report warns

A new report from the United Nations University warns that AI data centres could consume enough water by 2030 to meet the annual domestic needs of 1.3 billion people. The study highlights that AI's environmental footprint goes well beyond carbon emissions, with significant demands on water for cooling and electricity generation. It projects AI-driven data centres could use 945 terawatt-hours of electricity annually by 2030, nearly three times the combined consumption of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. The report also finds that everyday use of AI accounts for 80 to 90 percent of total energy demand, with image and video generation being far more energy intensive than text tasks. The UN is not calling for a halt to AI development but urges governments and tech companies to factor in water, energy, and land use alongside innovation. This is a reminder that the infrastructure behind AI carries real resource costs that need to be managed sustainably.