Environmental Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is already an integral part of many areas of life – whether it’s popular applications like ChatGPT or the optimization of industrial processes. But this progress comes at a cost: The infrastructure behind AI consumes vast resources – especially energy, but also water and raw materials such as rare earths. This report, prepared by the Öko-Institut on behalf of Greenpeace Germany, provides the first comprehensive overview of the environmental impacts of AI – and outlines guidelines for how AI applications can operate within planetary boundaries. AI is here to stay – and we must find a way to use it in a climate- and environmentally responsible manner.