AI revolution: soon 1% of the global electricity through data centers!

AI revolution: soon 1% of the global electricity through data centers!

Dessau-Roßlau, Deutschland - What's going on here? The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) raises more and more questions about our electricity consumption and the associated climate effects. Current studies show that AI applications will soon be responsible for around 1% of the global electricity consumption. So that this does not grow over our heads, we should keep an eye on the developments in this area. According to MDR, the energy-related consumption in data centers will increase to around 300 terawatt hours by 2028. Already for comparison: In 2024, electricity production in Germany was 431.7 terawatt hours. This is not a cardboard stick!

particularly worrying: the data centers in which these AI applications are operated mainly concentrate in the USA and China, where climate policy is subject to less strict specifications than in the EU. The question arises: does the electricity and the climate get lost faster than we can see? The International Energy Agency (IEA) even predicts that the electricity requirement of data centers will double by the AI ​​boom. A real problem that affects all of us.

The water side of the Ki

The topic of water consumption is also obvious. Who would have thought that about 500 milliliters of water would be used in a conversation with a chat bot alone? For example, training of AI models such as Chatgpt-3 has devoured over 5.4 million liters of water. The majority of this were used to cool the data centers. According to Tagesschau alone, 700,000 liters of water needed cooling. In a data center, the IT systems consume the most electricity, but cooling is the largest power guzzler. A vicious circle that also affects our water consumption.

Not only electricity, but also water will be a valuable asset in the future if we continue the current trends in AI development. And what does the situation look like in the emissions? The relocation of CO2 emissions by tech companies to countries with less strict climate policy is still moderate. But we cannot avoid, to guess that this changes when the cost pressure increases. [Deutschlandfunk] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ki-bald-fuer-ein-prozent-des-welweiten-electricity consumption-managed-106.html) indicates the risk that this endangers European climate policy. Social justice in energy use? Hardly any topic from us has to be considered more in this debate.

The way to sustainability

Another point that should not be forgotten is the important role that renewable energies have to play. In Germany, the proportion of renewable energies was 56 percent in 2023, while Denmark and Norway literally present them with 80.2 percent and even 99 percent. However, efficiency in the use of these resources must also be increased. Companies such as Microsoft and Google strive for climate neutrality by 2030, which highlights the connection to sustainable practices.

Where do you go when the tech giants continue to proliferate without taking into account the environment? Sustainability in data centers is not only a question of conscience, but also an economic necessity. The future will decide whether we are standing with a green or gray footprint. The course must now be set so that the AI ​​does not become a climate killer!