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UN Study Warns AI’s Environmental Impact Could Rival Major Nations by 2030

(MENAFN) A new United Nations-backed study has warned that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence could place major strain on global environmental resources, with effects expected to hit developing regions in Asia particularly hard.

According to reports, research from the United Nations University (UNU) suggests that AI’s expansion is driving rising demand for electricity, water, and land, extending its environmental footprint far beyond carbon emissions alone.

The study, published by the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health, argues that the pace of AI development could significantly pressure natural systems worldwide if current trends continue.

It projects that electricity consumption linked to AI could surge sharply by 2030, reaching levels nearly three times the combined annual power use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria—countries that together are home to around 650 million people.

The report also estimates that AI systems could produce as much as 400 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by the end of the decade, a figure comparable to the United Kingdom’s current total emissions.

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