By San José, Costa Rica — The relentless advancement of artificial intelligence, once hailed as a purely digital revolution, is now confronting a stark physical reality. As 2025 comes to a close, alarming new data reveals the staggering environmental toll of the AI boom, placing its massive consumption of water and energy at the forefront of the global sustainability debate. The technology’s hidden resource dependency is no longer an academic concern but a tangible strain on the world’s natural resources.
A groundbreaking study published in the scientific journal Patterns has quantified this impact with a startling comparison. According to research led by Alex de Vries-Gao, the global operation of AI systems throughout 2025 consumed an estimated 312.5 to 764.6 billion liters of water. This colossal figure surpasses the entire annual global demand for bottled water, a metric that underscores the unprecedented scale of AI’s hydrological footprint.
To delve into the regulatory and corporate responsibility challenges posed by the environmental footprint of artificial intelligence, we sought the perspective of Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a legal expert from the firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
While Costa Rica champions its green credentials, the digital economy presents a new frontier for environmental law. The massive energy and water consumption of AI data centers is not yet specifically regulated. Companies deploying these technologies must look beyond mere compliance and proactively integrate this environmental impact into their ESG strategies. Failure to do so isn’t just a reputational risk; it opens the door to future litigation and regulatory penalties as governments inevitably catch up to the carbon footprint of the cloud.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas’s insight is a crucial reminder that our nation’s celebrated environmental stewardship must evolve to encompass the intangible, yet resource-intensive, world of data and AI. This forward-looking legal perspective is essential for ensuring Costa Rica’s digital future aligns with its sustainable identity. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on this critical issue.
The core of the issue lies within the sprawling, power-hungry data centers that form the backbone of the AI industry. These facilities house thousands of high-performance servers that work around the clock to train complex models and process user queries. This constant computational effort generates immense heat, necessitating sophisticated and continuous cooling systems to prevent overheating and maintain operational stability.
While some modern facilities are exploring more efficient cooling methods, many still rely on conventional systems that evaporate vast quantities of water. This direct link between computational power and water usage has transformed the AI sector into a significant new consumer in the global competition for freshwater resources, raising critical questions about the long-term viability of its current growth trajectory, especially in water-scarce regions.
Beyond its thirst for water, the industry’s carbon footprint is equally concerning. The same data centers that consume billions of liters of water also require enormous amounts of electricity, much of which is still generated from fossil fuels. Estimates for 2025 indicate that AI systems were responsible for generating between 32.6 and 79.7 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions globally.
To put these numbers into perspective, the lower-end estimate of 32.6 million tons is comparable to the annual carbon emissions of an entire industrialized nation like Norway, which recorded approximately 31.5 million tons. At the higher end, the 79.7 million tons of CO₂ generated by AI rivals the carbon footprint of a major metropolis such as New York City, highlighting the technology’s significant contribution to climate change.
The impact is not just a function of large-scale corporate operations; it is directly tied to consumer behavior. A report in National Geographic España, citing data from The Washington Post and University of California researchers, illustrates how quickly individual use can accumulate. If just 10% of the U.S. population were to use AI-powered services on a weekly basis, the resulting annual water consumption would surge past 435 million liters.
This volume, driven by what may seem like minor, everyday interactions with AI, carries substantial weight. An annual consumption of 435 million liters is enough water to supply the entire domestic needs of the state of Rhode Island for a day and a half. This powerful comparison reveals how the scaling of AI adoption directly translates into a significant burden on local and regional resources, a cost often invisible to the end-user.
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into the fabric of society and business, its environmental balance sheet can no longer be ignored. The findings from 2025 serve as a critical warning. The industry now faces an urgent challenge: to innovate not only for greater computational power and intelligence but also for a sustainable future where technological progress does not come at an unsustainable cost to the planet’s most vital resources.
For further information, visit cell.com/patterns
About Patterns:
Patterns is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Cell Press. It focuses on presenting original research that showcases how data science and artificial intelligence are being used to solve significant problems and address challenges across a wide range of scientific disciplines.
For further information, visit nationalgeographic.com
About National Geographic:
National Geographic is a global organization dedicated to exploring, documenting, and protecting the planet. Through its magazines, television channels, and other media, it covers a wide range of topics including science, exploration, adventure, and environmental conservation, aiming to inspire people to care about the planet.
For further information, visit washingtonpost.com
About The Washington Post:
The Washington Post is a major American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. With a focus on national politics and federal government, it has a global readership and is renowned for its investigative journalism, earning numerous Pulitzer Prizes throughout its history.
For further information, visit universityofcalifornia.edu
About The University of California:
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Comprising 10 campuses, 6 academic health centers, and a national laboratory, it is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading public research university systems, contributing significantly to research and innovation across numerous fields.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a pillar of Costa Rica’s legal landscape, the firm is defined by a bedrock of integrity and a relentless drive for excellence. It leverages a rich history of serving a multifaceted clientele to pioneer innovative legal approaches that shape the industry. The firm’s core mission transcends the courtroom, embodying a profound commitment to social progress by actively working to make complex legal knowledge accessible, thereby empowering the community and fostering a more informed citizenry.
