Over the past year, my research has first highlighted the rapidly growing power demand of AI systems, followed by an assessment of the associated carbon and water footprints. My latest research addresses another, often overlooked consequence of the expanding AI infrastructure: electronic waste.

Over the past year, my research has first highlighted the rapidly growing power demand of AI systems, followed by an assessment of the associated carbon and water footprints. My latest research addresses another, often overlooked consequence of the expanding AI infrastructure: electronic waste.

Let’s start the year by reflecting on the colossal growth in the resource consumption of AI and what it means for 2026. At the start of 2025, the worldwide power demand of AI systems was approximately 9.4 GW. By the end of the year, this demand had likely increased to around 23 GW.

Let’s start the year by reflecting on the colossal growth in the resource consumption of AI and what it means for 2026. At the start of 2025, the worldwide power demand of AI systems was approximately 9.4 GW. By the end of the year, this demand had likely increased to around 23 GW.

The UK’s largest planned data centre—a project by US firm QTS—is understating its true water consumption by a factor of 50, says new analysis by @watershed-i.bsky.social & @aiarmsracebook.bsky.social @digiconomist.bsky.social No mistake; AI is a heavy, polluting industry. shorturl.at/KXQxJ

UK’s largest proposed datacentre ‘understating planned water use’

Analysis suggests consumption at Northumberland site could be 50 times higher than US operator QTS estimates

theguardian.com

HEY friends: recently seen heaps of "disclosures" from AI companies of the energy cost per question you type into chatbots (most recently from Google)? Presenting per-query 'efficiency' is part of big tech's efforts to hide its extremely real and happening-right-now climate impacts! NEW POST -->>>

Big tech’s selective disclosure masks AI’s real climate impact

Google claims to have disclosed new information proving its own efficiency. But it has hidden the bigger picture. Guess what: I’ve got the bigger picture for you right here in this big old po…

ketanjoshi.co

It also ignores that Google’s total power demand has gone up by a massive 50% over the past two years (driven by AI) despite all the reported efficiency gains (a classic Jevons’ paradox).

Google says a typical AI text prompt only uses 5 drops of water — experts say that’s misleading

“This really spreads the wrong message to the world.”

theverge.com

Google released some new data on the environmental impact Gemini AI prompts, but omitted so many details you can hardly consider it useful. Instead, it does paint an overly rosy picture of the impact concerned.

Google says a typical AI text prompt only uses 5 drops of water — experts say that’s misleading

“This really spreads the wrong message to the world.”

theverge.com

Google released some new data on the environmental impact Gemini AI prompts, but omitted so many details you can hardly consider it useful. Instead, it does paint an overly rosy picture of the impact concerned.

Google says a typical AI text prompt only uses 5 drops of water — experts say that’s misleading

“This really spreads the wrong message to the world.”

theverge.com

Bitcoin mining has been nothing more than a huge energy waste in past years. Now AI is about to surpass Bitcoin’s power demand. Emerging tech is rapidly driving up the power demand of worldwide digital infrastructure with the inevitable consequence being strained power grids and more fossil fuel use

Microsoft’s sustainability report that covers 2024 is now available - and it contains some interesting highlights so let’s dive in! blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issue...

Our 2025 Environmental Sustainability Report

We reflect on our progress towards our ambitious 2030 goals: to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste, while protecting ecosystems. As we enter the second half of the decade, Microsoft re...

blogs.microsoft.com

The Verge covering my latest research on the power demand of AI and how this is likely to soon surpass another energy hog in the digital space: Bitcoin mining. www.theverge.com/climate-chan...

AI could consume more power than Bitcoin by the end of 2025

“It shouldn’t be this ridiculously hard” to track AI’s energy consumption.

theverge.com

Microsoft’s sustainability report that covers 2024 is now available - and it contains some interesting highlights so let’s dive in! blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issue...

Our 2025 Environmental Sustainability Report

We reflect on our progress towards our ambitious 2030 goals: to be carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste, while protecting ecosystems. As we enter the second half of the decade, Microsoft re...

blogs.microsoft.com

The Verge covering my latest research on the power demand of AI and how this is likely to soon surpass another energy hog in the digital space: Bitcoin mining. www.theverge.com/climate-chan...

AI could consume more power than Bitcoin by the end of 2025

“It shouldn’t be this ridiculously hard” to track AI’s energy consumption.

theverge.com

AI power demand is rising rapidly while boosting carbon emissions, but of course we’re being told not to worry about it because “some other AI will magically solve all climate challenges soon™️.” Emerging tech is in urgent need of a healthy dose of accountability. www.sfexaminer.com/news/technol...

Why ChatGPT is unlikely to solve climate change

Critics say boosters conflating different types of AI.

sfexaminer.com

“Data centre blitz threatens Labour’s net zero hopes” Tech companies are desperately looking for power as AI is generating a huge new demand. This extra power demand will boost reliance on fossil fuels and threatens to undermine climate goals. Read the full Telegraph article: archive.is/pAQpY

“Data centre blitz threatens Labour’s net zero hopes” Tech companies are desperately looking for power as AI is generating a huge new demand. This extra power demand will boost reliance on fossil fuels and threatens to undermine climate goals. Read the full Telegraph article: archive.is/pAQpY

Bitcoin mining has been nothing more than a huge energy waste in past years. Now AI is about to surpass Bitcoin’s power demand. Emerging tech is rapidly driving up the power demand of worldwide digital infrastructure with the inevitable consequence being strained power grids and more fossil fuel use

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming the largest energy hog within worldwide digital infrastructure. By the end of 2025, AI systems could be responsible for half of total data center power demand - up from about 20% per the end of last year. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

AI could account for nearly half of datacentre power usage ‘by end of year’

Analysis comes as energy agency predicts systems will need as much energy by end of decade as Japan uses today

theguardian.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming the largest energy hog within worldwide digital infrastructure. By the end of 2025, AI systems could be responsible for half of total data center power demand - up from about 20% per the end of last year. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

AI could account for nearly half of datacentre power usage ‘by end of year’

Analysis comes as energy agency predicts systems will need as much energy by end of decade as Japan uses today

theguardian.com

As a result, if you’re in London and want to send money to New York, environmentally you’d theoretically be better off taking the plane to manually deliver a bag of cash than sending a Bitcoin transaction. 1 BTC txn on avg consumes as much power as a US household over 1.5 months.

In case you’re wondering when the environmental concerns surrounding Bitcoin started; this discussion already started weeks after BTC launched. Today marks 16 years of inaction by the Bitcoin community in addressing this massive problem.

Stock market crash: AI bubble collapsing on concerns AI is not as wasteful as previously assumed

In case you’re wondering when the environmental concerns surrounding Bitcoin started; this discussion already started weeks after BTC launched. Today marks 16 years of inaction by the Bitcoin community in addressing this massive problem.

Stock market crash: AI bubble collapsing on concerns AI is not as wasteful as previously assumed

If transparency threatens your industry, then there might be something wrong with your industry.

If transparency threatens your industry, then there might be something wrong with your industry.

Google's latest environmental report has everybody talking about the energy demands of AI again, as Google is drifting away from meeting its environmental targets due to "increased data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions."

Fueling the AI boom with renewable energy is already proving to be a challenge, but even if succesful the planet is not neccesarily better off. Using our limited renewable energy to feed a rapidly growing number of AI servers will simply lead to increased fossil fuel consumption elsewhere.

Fueling the AI boom with renewable energy is already proving to be a challenge, but even if succesful the planet is not neccesarily better off. Using our limited renewable energy to feed a rapidly growing number of AI servers will simply lead to increased fossil fuel consumption elsewhere.