Does AI Have an Environmental Problem?
by Stephanie Ho Lem, Promoting Living Green
Artificial Intelligence or “AI” for short, is here and growing in popularity. The Alberta government is embracing it, we have little choice but to use it, but do we know enough about it?
As we go about our daily life, how many of us use Siri or Alexa? These are forms of artificial intelligence as they use voice recognition and machine learning to answer questions and respond to requests. When you contact customer service for assistance, it’s a chatbot and not a real human being. A chatbot is a computer designed program that simulates human conversation.
Another form is ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that uses natural language processing or NLP to create humanlike conversational dialogue. NLP is the ability of a computer program to understand human language as it’s spoken.
AI is increasingly being used but it is changing our lives, workplace, education, healthcare, and the environment. AI is expensive, it can be weaponized, and it can result in the loss of jobs for humans, among other things.
How many of you know that Alberta has currently around 22 and some sources say up to 37 data centre facilities, the major ones being Amazon Web Services (AWS) and eStruxture?
The Alberta government wants Alberta to become an AI data centre hub. The Beacon AI plans to invest up to $10 billion to build six data centres with a collective power demand of 4,500 MW, potentially going live in 2027. The biggest development estimated at $70 billion is Wonder Valley. The Municipal District of Greenview announced a groundbreaking partnership with O’Leary Ventures to build an off-grid natural gas and geothermal power infrastructure to support the largest AI data centre industrial park in the world. The Greenview Industrial Gateway (GIG) has signed a Letter of Intent with O’Leary Ventures for the purchase and development of thousands of acres of land within the Greenview Industrial Gateway and to the south of the GIG near Grande Prairie.
Kevin O’Leary wants an AI centre in Alberta because he says the Premier can provide the permits, there’s 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to power the electricity and a favourable climate. Alberta’s cold climate will permit the efficient cooling of servers, minimizing the need for costly artificial cooling systems and reducing overall energy consumption – lowering both operational expenses and making the facilities more sustainable.
How Problematic is AI for the Environment?
To provide you a scale of AI’s impact, a single query using ChatGPT consumes about ten times the electricity of a Google search. It can respond to questions and compose various written content, including articles, social media posts, essay, code, and emails. Data Centres are the backbone for storing, processing, and distributing data for different applications, including websites, cloud, or AI services. They are needed for AI because “AI models demand vast computational power, massive data storage and high-speed networking which are efficiently provided by specialized, scalable infrastructure within these facilities”.
There is still much we don’t know about the environmental impact of AI but the data we do know is concerning.
• A 2 kg computer requires 800 kg of raw materials, plus the microchips that power AI need rare earth elements.
• Data centres produce electronic waste which often contains hazardous substances like mercury and lead.
• Rapid obsolescence of hardware in data centres contributes to electronic waste which is sometimes less likely to be recyclable.
• Vast amounts of water are needed during construction and once operational, to cool electrical components to prevent overheating.
• High water demand can strain local water supplies putting communities and ecosystems at risk.
• AI technology requires a lot of energy, much of the electricity comes from power plants that burn coal and natural gas, releasing air pollutants and greenhouse gases that drive climate change.
• The increased energy demand from data centres is growing faster than the expansion of renewable energy sources.
• Noise pollution for nearby communities.
In summary, AI poses environmental harm through the vast amounts of electricity and water data centres consume, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and stressing freshwater resources.
What we cannot do is overestimate the power of good or underestimate the potential for disaster.
Please note: The above content is for informational purposes only.
Sources:
CBC News, Sep 2025; Environment Under Review
United Nations, Sep 2024 – Artificial Intelligence-How much energy does AI use.
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