Sometimes small news can reveal big truths. When Microsoft released its annual sustainability report in May, it was hardly a blockbuster story—but the numbers hid something interesting: the company has increased its emissions by 30 percent since 2020.
Why? One key explanation can be summarized in two letters: AI. Microsoft’s massive investment in artificial intelligence has led to proportionally massive climate emissions.
Artificial intelligence requires a lot of energy. This isn’t only true for Microsoft, but all other tech companies as well—and by 2027, the world’s AI services are expected to consume as much energy as the entire country of the Netherlands, according to a study by the Amsterdam School of Business and Economics.
The data centers operated by these tech giants don’t just devour energy. They also require large amounts of water to cool the facilities. A single facility can consume over 50 million gallons of water per year.
So, to keep …