Environmental groups adopt AI while pressing data centres to cut their footprint

Applications include wildfire alerts in Cambodia and faster wildlife counts in Kenya. Conservation groups said the tools can compress work that once took months into hours, while some are also testing more efficient models and computing practices.

The International Energy Agency projects global data-centre electricity use could reach about 945 terawatt-hours a year by 2030. Reuters also cited projections that annual data-centre water consumption may more than double from 2023 levels.