Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Stella Christie, A.B., Ph.D., reminded the younger generation of the ecological impact behind the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). She emphasized that the operation of this advanced technology requires electricity and clean water supplies on an extraordinarily large scale.
This warning was delivered by Stella during a scientific presentation to new students at the Introduction to Campus Life for New Students (PKKMB) event at Singaperbangsa Karawang University (Unsika), West Java. She invited students not to be mere passive users, but to be critical and wise in utilizing the technology.
In her speech, Stella explained that every prompt sent to AI platforms, such as ChatGPT or Claude, must be processed by rows of computers in data centers. This mass computing activity consumes huge amounts of electricity while also requiring clean water for cooling systems to prevent the devices from overheating.
Electricity demand to support AI is projected to continue rising drastically. By 2025, the power consumption of AI data centers is expected to equal the electricity needs of Latvia, and it is predicted to keep climbing to match the electricity consumption of the United Kingdom by 2029.
In addition to electricity, the consumption of clean water for this technology is also in the spotlight. Stella explained that the operation of GPT-4 alone is estimated to consume clean water equivalent to the daily needs of 1.2 million people. She reminded students to reflect on their use of AI, given that the technology's tangible contribution is still in the developmental stage and has not fully solved major humanitarian issues.
