In Ireland, the digital world recently met physical reality. By 2023, massive data centers used 21 percent of the country's electricity, more than all city homes combined. This caused the national grid to stop new data center approvals until 2028.
This local problem shows a coming global challenge. A June 2026 United Nations report warns that the infrastructure for our digital lives is growing very fast. The study, "Environmental Cost of AI's Energy Use: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints," says the artificial intelligence revolution is using a lot of the planet's natural resources.
It's hard to imagine the size of this digital infrastructure. In 2025, data centers worldwide used 448 terawatt-hours of electricity. If they were one country, they would be the eleventh biggest electricity user. This energy use created about 189 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
But researchers say carbon is only part of the problem. These facilities also needed about 4.5 trillion liters of water for cooling in 2025. Miriam Aczel, the study's lead author, explained that focusing only on emissions hides other environmental damage. She noted that solutions good for carbon might harm water or land. Relying only on carbon numbers can make people think renewable energy makes everything clean, but this can create new problems.
The fast use of artificial intelligence is making these issues worse. AI now uses about one-fifth of data center energy. By 2030, this could double to 40 percent. Most of this energy is used for everyday tasks, not just training AI. Once an AI is running, getting responses uses 80 to 90 percent of its total energy.
By 2030, global data center electricity use is expected to more than double to 945 terawatt-hours. This would make the digital network the sixth largest power consumer globally. Carbon emissions could reach 399 million metric tons. Data centers might cover over 14,500 square kilometers of land, and old computer hardware could create 2.5 million metric tons of electronic waste yearly. Water needs could reach 9.3 trillion liters by 2030, equal to the yearly domestic water needs of 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kaveh Madani, the research team leader, warned that making systems cheaper and more efficient can lead to more use, increasing the environmental footprint.
The benefits and problems are not shared equally. The United States and China have over 90 percent of the special hardware. However, the environmental effects are felt worldwide. The researchers are not against technological progress but ask for responsible development. The tech industry must address the physical impact of the growing cloud to ensure a sustainable future.