AI surpasses 2024 Bitcoin mining in energy usage, uses more H20 than the bottles of water people drink globally, study claims — says AI demand could hit 23GW and up to 764 billion liters of water in 2025

A study by Alex de Vries-Gao reveals that global AI power demand could reach 23GW and consume 312.5 to 764.6 billion liters of water in 2025, surpassing the energy usage of Bitcoin mining in 2024. These estimates are considered conservative as big tech companies do not disclose the full extent of their AI operations' consumption in sustainability reports. U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders, are raising concerns about the environmental impact of AI data centers, with Sanders proposing a moratorium on their construction. Experts suggest that the environmental impact of AI extends beyond operations to the entire supply chain, potentially increasing the environmental footprint of AI technology significantly.