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"New Form of Imperialism": Renowned U.N. Scientist on AI Boom's Huge Water, Carbon & Land Footprint

2026-06-12 News & Politics
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Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt The environmental toll of the artificial intelligence boom continues to mount as tech companies use ever more power to run their data centers and use enormous amounts of water for cooling. A new investigation by U.N. scientists warns that AI's water use in 2030 will match the needs of 1.3 billion people, while its power use will be triple that of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria combined — countries with a total population of 650 million. "Most people understand AI as a digital technology, as a virtual thing, as something that is in the clouds," says Iranian environmental scientist Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. "What we tried to do in this report was to remind people that there's some physics to all of this." Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@Teryl-u5k 2026-06-12

It is not that we cannot feed the poor we cannot satisfy the rich.

30 3 replies
@wILdmEAt33 2026-06-12

They are not data centers, they are surveillance centers, prisons.

22 1 replies
@valerieprimbscole7726 2026-06-12

These Centers are COMPLETELY UNNESSESARY!!

19 3 replies
@michaelandrews4941 2026-06-12

We are in the middle of an environmental crisis and this is exactly what we don’t need is massive energy sucking data centers this is unbelievable !

18
@bygarrett 2026-06-12

A most immediate detriment from data centers is NOISE. People cannot live with 24 hour a day, incessant noise and that aspect, while perhaps not as far reaching for ecological damage, should not be overlooked.

15
@iyamwhatiyam547 2026-06-12

'They' are building lots of AI centers in AZ. Can you imagine justifying contaminating and wasting fresh water in a DESERT state that is at drought capacity NOW???

13 1 replies
@olorin4317 2026-06-12

I think we can create responsible AI that can help us fix the world and liberate humanity’s true potential. But, we’re currently doing it in all the wrong ways, for many of the worst reasons, and empowering the absolute worst people.

8 1 replies
@Rippypoo 2026-06-13

Thanks, Amy and team.

8
@juliet8678 2026-06-12

Just when I thought I couldn't possibly get more depressed.....

7 1 replies
@whygohome172 2026-06-12

These tech billionaires don’t care about us! At all!

4

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