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AI and its impact on the environment

January 24, 2025

AI can make day-to-day life easier, but its high energy requirements raise environmental concerns. After all, building and operating data centers involves large quantities of power, water, and raw materials.

https://p.dw.com/p/4pZdv
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DW Sendung Shift | LLM Water

Water consumption in data centers – no small issue

Water consumption in data centers – no small issue

Training and using AI tools like ChatGPT is energy-intensive and heats up processors. Fresh water is often used for cooling. If that warmer water is then recycled to its original source, it impacts the ecosystem.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202501:20 min
DW Sendung Shift | Chile protest

Protesters halt new data center

Protesters halt new data center

In Chile, an environmental organization successfully protested against Google’s construction of a new AI data center. The company announced it would adhere to stricter environmental protection guidelines.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202503:10 min
DW Sendung Shift | Ressources

The forgotten environmental costs of data centers

The forgotten environmental costs of data centers

Besides water and electricity, data centers also require metals like silicon, copper, gold, and aluminum. Mining these resources is harmful to the environment.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202500:38 min
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DW Sendung Shift | LLM Water

Water consumption in data centers – no small issue

Processors in AI data centers tend to overheat. Fresh water is often used for cooling.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202501:20 min
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Why does AI need so much energy?

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Chilean activists say new data centers put the local population’s water and energy supply at risk.
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Skip next section More from this show

More from this show

DW Sendung Shift | LLM Water

Water consumption in data centers – no small issue

Processors in AI data centers tend to overheat. Fresh water is often used for cooling.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202501:20 min
Deutschland Berlin 2025 | Energieeffizienz von KI-gesteuerten Datenzentren im Fokus

Why does AI need so much energy?

AI models are trained using huge amounts of data and require high-performance processors.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202501:45 min
DW Sendung Shift | Chile protest

Protesters halt new data center

Chilean activists say new data centers put the local population’s water and energy supply at risk.
Digital WorldJanuary 24, 202503:10 min
Show more
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About the show

Shift
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