AI’s growing thirst: Data centres may use 9.3 trillion litres of water by 2030

Artificial intelligence may be reshaping economies, industries and daily life, but its environmental footprint is growing at a pace comparable to that of entire nations. By 2030, data centres powering AI are projected to consume 945 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, require 9.3 trillion litres of water, occupy more than 14,500 sq km of land, and generate up to 2.5 million tonnes of electronic waste annually, according to a report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH).