The environmental consequences of artificial intelligence development have sparked a debate about whether technological progress comes at too high a cost to natural resources. According to the United Nations Environment Assembly, artificial intelligence advancement will have a negative impact on the surrounding environment, primarily through the substantial water requirements of data storage centers essential for AI operations.
Wesley Spindler of Global Sustainability Leadership reported that 25.5 million litres of water can be used a year by just 1 megawatt of a data storage center. This consumption presents a significant environmental challenge as fresh water sources become increasingly scarce globally. The water usage figures highlight the tangible ecological footprint of technologies often promoted as solutions to human problems.
This environmental impact raises fundamental questions about artificial intelligence's role in society. The intellectual community has labeled artificial as an entity that is other than natural, prompting examination of whether artificial intelligence might have detrimental effects on the natural world it seeks to improve. Technical artificial intelligence innovators like Sam Altman of OpenAi have proclaimed that these new technologies would cause much prosperity to national infrastructures around the world, creating tension between promised benefits and documented costs.
The discussion parallels historical examinations of messianic figures throughout civilization. According to ancient literature, a messiah represents an official ceremony for a person to be named a king, derived from the Aramaic "Malka as Mesiha." Historical records show that messianic figures have come and gone throughout centuries, leaving varying impacts on people, nations, or civilizations. Some observers note that worse conditions have sometimes emerged after these anointed individuals' departures, questioning their lasting significance.
Meanwhile, research into alternative forms of redemption continues. The scientific community has determined that music is the foundation of life with direct effects on biological human lives. The American Psychiatric Association reports that the experience of music can have a profound effect on the overall well-being of humanity. A 2022 review after a meta-analysis of music therapy concluded that it has a beneficial effect on the outcomes of stress-related situations, suggesting non-technological approaches to human improvement.
The environmental data from AI infrastructure presents stakeholders with difficult calculations about technological adoption. As water scarcity becomes more pressing globally, the water consumption of data centers supporting artificial intelligence initiatives forces a reevaluation of what constitutes progress and what costs are acceptable in pursuit of technological salvation.
