AI has measurable and growing impacts. In 2025 it is estimated to have emitted up to as much greenhouse gas as Belgium, according to the GreenIT association, and to have used the equivalent of 22 to 39% of the electricity consumed in France, depending on the estimate. For one person, regular use has a small footprint: about 2.8 kgCO2e a year for 10 questions a day, 5 images and 1 video a week, the same as driving 20 km. Worldwide, forecasts for 2030 put the electricity consumption of data centres at 2 to more than 3 times that of France.
Read the source article: Environmental impact of AI: climate, energy, water, metals