It’s a tale as old as time: humanity reaches a new level of technological development but at what cost? AI opened countless digital doors, promising efficiency and convenience. Yet, the human and environmental costs behind these systems are only beginning to surface. So here’s the question; are you the problem for using AI like asking ChatGPT to help with an assignment? Or is that question missing the point entirely?
As abstract as AI might seem to use when online, it’s surprisingly easy to find where it lives. AI data centres are the sites where the infrastructure needed to train, deploy, and deliver AI services are located. These centres are not the same as regular data centres. Although they both contain similar hardware, data centres usually have more central processing units (CPUs) while AI data centres require graphic processing units (GPUs) which need more space, energy, and cooling capabilities than CPUs. It’s important to consider the resource needs of that machinery: where do the raw resources come from? Whose water is being diverted for cooling? How are surrounding communities being affected? What happens with all the e-waste that often contains mercury and lead?
Nowadays, AI centres account for approximately three per cent of the global energy usage, which is projected for a whopping growth of nine per cent by 2030. Is it even possible (or ethical) to direct that much energy to AI when 1.180 million people live with energy poverty? Is that what we want to do? Large data centres can consume up to five million gallons per day, an amount that would be enough for a town populated by 50,000 people. So, if you personally stop using AI, what would be the impact? Asking 20 questions to ChatGPT uses roughly 500 millilitres of water, meaning that personal use is probably not very impactful, so what is?
AI usage is hard to track since it is a new technology, but the answer is not that complicated. Shocking to nobody, it’s big corporations. As of 2025, 78 per cent of companies worldwide use at least one AI tool, usually to increase productivity through automation of customer service, document processing, scheduling, and even HR. Another huge part is marketing, where AI is used to track user behaviour, predict preferences, and make it personalized — which raises concerns about privacy and personal data security. We must also consider how AI is being used for financial speculation, military tech, and border control, which are all scary.
When conversations about AI’s environmental impact are focused on individual use, we risk falling into the fallacy of blaming people and not corporations. It would not be the first time — think about taking 10 minute showers to solve water scarcity or turning all the lights off in your house, none of it matters if an AI centre opens next door. The question, then, is not whether we should stop asking AI questions, but instead ask how willing we are to question who controls this technology, who profits from it, and who bears its environmental costs? As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” So, let’s care.
