How dangerous is free AI for humans? It could use 3% of global electricity, consume more water than world drinks in a year

According to a UN report, AI may account for 3 percent of global electricity use by 2030 and produce emissions comparable to those of united ki

Written by: Joy Pillai Edited by: Joy Pillai

Updated: June 6, 2026, 1:48 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/technology/how-dangerous-is-free-ai-for-humans-it-could-use-3-of-global-electricity-consume-more-water-than-world-drinks-in-a-year-8438218/ Copy

How dangerous is free AI for humans? It could use 3% of global electricity, consume more water than world drinks in a year| ImagAI

Story Highlights

• As per a UN report, AI could consume 3% of the world’s electricity by 2030.
• For cooling process, AI may use more water than the world’s annual drinking water needs.
• AI’s carbon emissions could be equivalent to those produced by United Kingdom.
• According to Jevons Paradox, more efficient AI bots may lead to even higher resource use.
• If AI power consumption doubles, offsetting emissions may require 6.7 billion trees over 10 years.
• AI data centres are expected to need 9.3 trillion litres of water. 10 times more land than the size of Mexico.

AI May Consume 3% Of Global Electricity By 2030: How Dangerous Is Free AI For Humans? Artificial Intelligence has become a part of almost everybody’s day-to-day life, and it’s not limited to work alone. AI-enabled gadgets are making people’s lives easier. From corporate employees and students to startup entrepreneurs, everybody is using AI bots for assistance and suggestions. There are new businesses that are running fully on AI bots. AI models are booming and are becoming more demanding in terms of resources every day. But do you know that the AI bots we are using mostly for free are draining electricity, water, and producing emissions? Let’s know more.

AI May Consume 3% Of Global Electricity By 2030

According to a report published by the United Nations, AI energy use may surge in coming years and by 2030 it could consume 3 percent of the world’s electricity, consume more water for cooling than the world’s annual drinking water and produce emission equal to the United Kingdom.
It is expected that Artificial Intelligence will also follow the economic principle – ‘Jevons Paradox.’ As per the Jevons Paradox, when technology becomes more efficient, people tend to use it more, this will lead to higher overall consumption of resources rather than lower use.

Will AI Data Centres Need Trillions Of Litres Of Water By 2030?

If the electricity use doubles by 2030, offsetting its carbon footprint would require around 6.7 billion tree grown in the coming 10 years. The data centres would also require 9.3 trillion litres of water and big land areas almost 10 times the size of sMexico City.

Could Cheaper AI Lead To Even Higher Energy Consumption?

Nowadays, when AI models are becoming cheaper and more attractive, the report states that this would attract more users and higher volumes of use. This could cancel the benefits earned from improved efficiency.

According to the previous data, the data centres across the world already consuming as much electricity as Saudi Arabia – which is the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world. This trend could slow only if the adoption of Artificial Intelligence decreases or the chips and AI models become efficient.