As climate change has worsened, colonialism has been digitized into data colonialism, which is a new term that has slowly transformed our reality. Amitav Ghosh’s book *The Great Derangement* elaborates on how colonialism began and worsened the impacts of climate change. Data colonialism is a new, digitalized version of colonialism that has created economic, sociological, and ecological impacts in the world. Several corporations like Google and Microsoft have begun expanding new regional hubs at profitable locations. While establishing regional hubs for various businesses doesn’t directly harm first-world countries, it takes away and competes against the natives of second and third-world countries that rely on those same resources. Since AI and its data centers require millions of gallons of potable water per day, this creates a question in morality behind the government as to who should be prioritized; Their people or the advancement of technology.

Unfortunately, government officials in countries such as Uruguay and Chile, have prioritized the future of their economy rather than the citizens of their nations. Corporations attempt to exploit regions that are profitable to them and have less strict environmental regulations. In other words, vulnerable regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia are “cash cow” locations for the IT industry. Government officials hope that the introduction and development of IT infrastructure will bring prosperity to the economy. However, Steven Gonzalez Monserrate states “This is not a permanent industry. It is extractive like, like mines”.

As big tech companies across the world turn their focus to the power of AI, the number of resource-intensive data centers needed to support the growing industry only increases. At the moment, data centers account for 1-2% of the overall global power consumption, a number that is predicted to double by 2030 to around 2-4% of the total power demand.[^1] As the power demand for data centers grows however, so do the emissions associated with the generation of the power. Because it is such a massive demand, companies constructing data centers often choose areas with cheap energy, not renewable energy sources, meaning that they rely on coal or oil burning power plants which have massive carbon footprints for their power.[^2] New data centers can often delay the closing of these carbon-producing power plants, or even prompt the construction of new ones to provide the necessary electricity, pumping out more carbon into the atmosphere, continuing to warm the planet and provoke extreme weather events.

With the increase in focus on renewable energy and carbon emissions, one of the biggest problems with artificial intelligence slips under the radar, the water required to cool the servers in the data centers. Throughout the cooling process, up to 9 liters of water per kilowatt of energy used are evaporated, rendered useless to the cooling process and inaccessible for those in need of drinking water. This cycle of high consumption and low recycling creates a deficit that is usually addressed by simply pulling in more water from other sources, draining the surroundings of a much needed resource. Although big companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Meta say that they aim to replenish more water than they consume by 2030, there are doubts if that is an achievable goal given that there is simply not enough water to last until then.[^3] Compounding with the incessant need for more water, data centers are often built in locations with cheap real estate and energy, such as South America and Sub-Saharan Africa, without any thought to the pre-existing water stress of those areas, which leads to a worsening of the problem as water is drawn away from those in desperate need and redirected into cooling the massive data centers. Although there are advances in technology and efficiency in regards to data centers, global water consumption needed for AI is still projected to reach between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters by 2027.[^4]

While AI is a source of hope for many in regards to potential solutions for the climate crisis, we must not ignore its negative impacts on the environment. The power and water required to keep the data centers, and by extension AI, functional, creates numerous problems across the globe. The prioritization of cheap land and power over sustainable practices means that data centers rely heavily on non-renewable sources of energy that produce massive amounts of greenhouse gasses, and place incredible amounts of stress on the surrounding watersheds. Although generative AI practices may create solutions to environmental crises in the future, we must not ignore the current dangers and practices inherent in the current practices.

[^1]: Lohr, Steve. “Will A.I. Ruin the Planet or Save the Planet?” *The New York Times*, The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/climate/ai-planet-climate-change.html?searchResultPosition=9.

[^2]: “Google blames AI as its emissions grow instead of heading to net zero” *AlJazeera*, AlJazeera, 2 Jul. 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/7/2/google-blames-ai-as-its-emissions-grow-instead-of-heading-to-net-zero

[^3]: Gordon, Cindy. “AI is Accelerating the Loss of Our Scarcest Natural Resource: Water” *Forbes*, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/cindygordon/2024/02/25/ai-is-accelerating-the-loss-of-our-scarcest-natural-resource-water/

[^4]: Privette, Ana. “AI’s Challenging Waters” *University of Illinois*, The Grainger College of Engineering, 11 Oct. 2024, https://cee.illinois.edu/news/AIs-Challenging-Waters

AI is beginning to pose a massive threat to the environment by impacting global consumption of water and various raw materials. AI servers are stored in data centers that produce massive amounts of electronic waste, which contains mercury and lead, both extremely toxic and dangerous substances.

To function and maintain optimal temperature, these data centers use water to help. However, these data centers are consuming far more water than is available, especially when roughly 2 billion of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water.[^1] In 2022, Microsoft’s environmental report showed that its water consumption had jumped to 34% since 2021, with the use of nearly 1.7 billion gallons of water.[^2] Google reported using 5.5 billion gallons of water during that same time.[^2]

On top of producing electronic waste and consuming far too much water, AI servers also require lots of raw materials to be built. These materials are usually mined unsustainably and in environmentally destructive ways.

However, AI has its benefits. It will likely play a role in solving the climate crisis or at least helping find temporary solutions. AI’s pattern recognition will help play a crucial role in tracking changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

[^1]: “1 in 3 People Globally Do Not Have Access to Safe Drinking Water – UNICEF, WHO.” *World Health Organization*, 18 June 2019, https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who.

[^2]: Collier, Andrew. “Artificial Intelligence Is Using a Ton of Water. Here’s How to Be More Resourceful.” *Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions*, 22 Aug. 2024, https://www.watertechnologies.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-using-ton-water-heres-how-be-more-resourceful.

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<section class="cf ph3 ph5-l pv3 pv4-l f4 tc-l center measure-wide lh-copy mid-gray"><p>As climate change has worsened, colonialism has been digitized into data colonialism, which is a new term that has slowly transformed our reality. Amitav Ghosh’s book <em>The Great Derangement</em> elaborates on how colonialism began and worsened the impacts of climate change. Data colonialism is a new, digitalized version of colonialism that has created economic, sociological, and ecological impacts in the world. Several corporations like Google and Microsoft have begun expanding new regional hubs at profitable locations. While establishing regional hubs for various businesses doesn’t directly harm first-world countries, it takes away and competes against the natives of second and third-world countries that rely on those same resources. Since AI and its data centers require millions of gallons of potable water per day, this creates a question in morality behind the government as to who should be prioritized; Their people or the advancement of technology.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, government officials in countries such as Uruguay and Chile, have prioritized the future of their economy rather than the citizens of their nations. Corporations attempt to exploit regions that are profitable to them and have less strict environmental regulations. In other words, vulnerable regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia are “cash cow” locations for the IT industry. Government officials hope that the introduction and development of IT infrastructure will bring prosperity to the economy. However, Steven Gonzalez Monserrate states “This is not a permanent industry. It is extractive like, like mines”.</p>

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