AI Data Centers' Environmental Impact: Water and Carbon Footprint Concerns

A new study warns that AI data centers could produce as much CO2 as New York City and consume water equivalent to the global bottled water industry by 2025, highlighting concerns over environmental impact and the lack of transparency from tech companies regarding AI-specific sustainability metrics. Europe’s cleaner energy grid offers a smaller carbon footprint for data centers there, but overall, the rapid growth of AI emphasizes the need for better environmental disclosures and policies.