> [!info]- meta > **Author**: [[Adam Zewe | MIT News]] > **Full Title**: Explained: Generative AI’s Environmental Impact > **Category**: #articles > > **Summary**: Generative AI technologies require a lot of electricity and water, leading to significant environmental impacts. The increasing demand for powerful data centers and cooling systems contributes to higher carbon emissions and resource consumption. Experts are exploring ways to reduce the carbon footprint of generative AI while balancing its benefits for society. > > **Source**: [Original URL](https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117) ## 🔦 Highlights & Commentary - Globally, the electricity consumption of data centers rose to 460 terawatts in 2022. This would have made data centers the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world, between the nations of Saudi Arabia (371 terawatts) and France (463 terawatts), according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01jv7n6gm72erq1jw16a6d295b))