Environmental impact of AI - statistics & facts

The arrival of AI disrupted the status quo in pretty much every industry. Since the boom ignited by the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, many have hailed the potential of the technology in aiding in all categories of global challenges, none the least climate change. However, AI comes with its own set of environmental concerns. With the AI market size expected to roughly double by 2030, can its benefits counteract its environmental impacts?

GPT-4 training GHG emissions
******tCO₂e

Energy consumption per ChatGPT request
****Wh

Share of AI training in total energy consumption of data centers
**%

Editor’s Picks
Editor’s Picks
Current statistics on this topic

Electricity

Global electricity demand from data centers and crypto 2022-2026

Artificial Intelligence

CO₂ equivalent emissions by AI models 2012-2025

Artificial Intelligence

Sum of notable AI model number 2014-2025, by organization

Overview

Market size of AI worldwide 2020-2032
Market size of AI worldwide 2020-2032
Market size of AI worldwide from 2020 to 2032 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Adoption of AI compared to generative AI in enterprises worldwide in 2023
Adoption of AI compared to generative AI in enterprises worldwide in 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI adoption in businesses globally in 2023, by function
Number of notable machine learning models globally in 2023, by geographic area
Number of notable machine learning models globally in 2023, by geographic area
Notable machine learning (ML) models developed globally worldwide in 2023, by geographic area
ChatGPT and Gemini app downloads worldwide monthly 2023-2026
ChatGPT and Gemini app downloads worldwide monthly 2023-2026
Number of monthly ChatGPT and Gemini mobile app downloads worldwide from May 2023 to July 2026 (in millions)
Sum of notable AI model number 2014-2025, by organization
Sum of notable AI model number 2014-2025, by organization
Collective number of notable artificial intelligence (AI) models from 2014-2025, by organization

Energy consumption

Global electricity demand from data centers and crypto 2022-2026
Global electricity demand from data centers and crypto 2022-2026
Electricity demand from data centers, artificial intelligence data centers, and cryptocurrencies worldwide in 2022, with a forecast for 2026 (in terawatt-hours)
AI electricity consumption worldwide 2023-2028
AI electricity consumption worldwide 2023-2028
Artificial intelligence power consumption and share of total data center consumption worldwide in 2023, with forecasts to 2028
Energy consumption by AI models 2024
Energy consumption by AI models 2024
Consumption of energy by artificial intelligence (AI) models in 2024 (in MWh)
Various AI models energy consumption for medium-length prompt 2023-2025
Various AI models energy consumption for medium-length prompt 2023-2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) models energy consumption for medium-length prompt from 2023 to 2025
Google energy consumption 2011-2025
Google energy consumption 2011-2025
Energy consumption of Google from financial year 2011 to 2025 (in gigawatt hours)
Meta's electricity consumption FY 2019-2024
Meta's electricity consumption FY 2019-2024
Electricity consumption and electricity intensity normalized by revenue of Meta from 2019 to 2024
Microsoft's electricity consumption FY 2020-2025
Microsoft's electricity consumption FY 2020-2025
Electricity consumption and electricity intensity normalized by revenue of Microsoft from FY 2020 to FY 2025

Water demand

Estimated water consumption for training GPT-3 2023
Estimated water consumption for training GPT-3 2023
Estimated operational water consumption for training GPT-3 as of July 2023, by data center (in million liters)
Google water withdrawals 2016-2025
Google water withdrawals 2016-2025
Water withdrawals by Google from 2016 to 2025 (in million gallons)
Share of Google's water withdrawals 2025, by scarcity
Share of Google's water withdrawals 2025, by scarcity
Distribution of water withdrawals by Google in 2025, by water scarcity
Meta's global water withdrawals 2019-2024
Meta's global water withdrawals 2019-2024
Water withdrawals by Meta worldwide from 2019 to 2024 (in million liters)
Microsoft water withdrawals 2020-2025
Microsoft water withdrawals 2020-2025
Water withdrawals by Microsoft worldwide from FY 2020 to FY 2025 (in million liters)

GHG emissions

CO₂ equivalent emissions by AI models 2012-2025
CO₂ equivalent emissions by AI models 2012-2025
Emission of CO₂ equivalent from training artificial intelligence (AI) models in 2012-2025 (in metric tons)
Google's GHG emissions FY 2019-2025
Google's GHG emissions FY 2019-2025
Google's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from financial year 2019 to 2025 (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)
Meta's operational greenhouse gas emissions 2017-2024
Meta's operational greenhouse gas emissions 2017-2024
Operational greenhouse gas emissions from Meta from 2017 to 2024 (in 1,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent)
Microsoft's total greenhouse gas emissions FY 2020-2025
Microsoft's total greenhouse gas emissions FY 2020-2025
Annual total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released by Microsoft from FY 2020 to FY 2025 (in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)
Carbon emissions from AI training models 2012-2025
Carbon emissions from AI training models 2012-2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) carbon footprint impact from 2012 to 2025, by model
Carbon emissions from AI training in U.S. 2025, by eGRID subregion
Carbon emissions from AI training in U.S. 2025, by eGRID subregion
Estimated energy and emissions from AI model training in the United States in 2025, by eGRID subregion

GPT-4 training GHG emissions
******tCO₂e

Energy consumption per ChatGPT request
****Wh

Share of AI training in total energy consumption of data centers
**%

Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Environmental impact of AI" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

- Meta's electricity intensity annual growth
- -****%
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Detailed statistics
Meta's electricity consumption FY 2019-2024
- GPT-5 (high) energy consumption for medium-length prompt
- 21.9 Wh per query
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Detailed statistics
Various AI models energy consumption for medium-length prompt 2023-2025

- Share of Google's water withdrawals from high scarcity watersheds
- 13%
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Detailed statistics
Share of Google's water withdrawals 2025, by scarcity
- Microsoft's global water withdrawals
- 13.3bn liters
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Detailed statistics
Microsoft water withdrawals 2020-2025

- Google's GHG emissions
- ****M tCO₂e
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Detailed statistics
Google's GHG emissions FY 2019-2025
- Microsoft's GHG emissions annual growth
- ****%
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Detailed statistics
Microsoft's total greenhouse gas emissions FY 2020-2025
- National average of carbon emissions from training generative AI models in U.S.
- ******mt tons
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Detailed statistics
Carbon emissions from AI training in U.S. 2025, by eGRID subregion