A new United Nations report highlights the hidden environmental costs of artificial intelligence. Beyond carbon emissions, the expansion of data centers is driving significant increases in water consumption and land use, creating a complex trade off where low carbon energy sources may still require massive amounts of water and land. The report warns that AI electricity demand could reach 945 TWh by 2030. This growth threatens to strain local aquifers and increase e-waste, while the benefits of the technology remain concentrated in a few wealthy nations.
