Hidden Environmental Cost of Powering Growing Digital and AI-World
Research indicates that AI systems like ChatGPT have a significant hidden water footprint due to the cooling requirements of data centers. Despite this environmental cost, Indian states are aggressively incentivizing the construction of large-scale data hubs, leading to local protests over resource depletion.
Why it matters
It draws attention to the often-overlooked environmental impact of the AI boom and the conflict between digital infrastructure growth and local resource sustainability.
Indicating an invisible water footprint behind instant responses generated by systems such as ChatGPT, a research from the University of California, Riverside, estimates that a typical conversation with ChatGPT, involving around 20 to 50 exchanges, can consume as much as half a litre of water — a hidden environmental cost of rising dependence on artificial intelligence (AI).
India is racing to become a global hub of data centres, whose capacity has increased from about 375MW (mega watt) in 2020 to around 1,500MW by 2025, and projected to reach 13.56 GW (giga watt) by 2031-32.
According to a UN report, the electricity consumption of data centres had a water footprint of 4.5 trillion litres in 2025, enough to meet the water needs of Chennai for (about) 12.5 years, and the water footprint is predicted to reach 9.3 trillion litres by 2030.
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