Call for Fossil-Free AI Infrastructure
Over 100 organizations, including Amnesty International and the AI Now Institute, have published an open letter urging the AI industry and regulators to address AI’s environmental impact. They highlight AI’s increasing carbon footprint, reliance on non-renewable energy, and excessive resource consumption.
The letter demands that AI infrastructure, particularly data centers, be fossil fuel-free. The rapid expansion of AI has strained power grids, forcing some regions to rely on coal and other polluting energy sources. According to the International Energy Agency, global data center electricity consumption could double by 2026, reaching the equivalent of Japan’s annual usage.
Water and Land Resource Concerns
The letter also raises concerns about AI’s impact on water and land resources. Data centers require enormous amounts of water to cool hardware and regulate humidity. One estimate suggests that if 10% of U.S. residents used ChatGPT for a single email per week, it would consume 435 million liters of water annually.
The signatories urge governments and tech companies to be transparent about AI’s full environmental impact and take steps to ensure that AI operations do not further deplete essential resources.
Pushback Against Unchecked AI Expansion
The letter’s authors stress that their demands represent the minimum necessary to mitigate AI’s negative environmental effects. They argue that the world must shift from seeing technological progress as inherently beneficial and instead prioritize AI applications that serve society while minimizing harm.
However, major AI-producing nations like the U.S. appear committed to unrestricted AI growth. President Donald Trump has indicated plans to fast-track AI data center approvals, including those using coal as backup power, and remove regulatory hurdles for companies investing $1 billion or more in the sector.
As AI’s environmental impact escalates, the debate over its sustainability is set to intensify.
