technology UN report warns of AI's gigantic consumption of resources
AI is voracious: Energy, land, water, resources - the ecological footprint is gigantic, experts warn in a UN report. As one of the 20 largest data center hubs in the world, Switzerland plays a major role in this footprint.
03.06.2026, 16:00
SDA
The ecological footprint threatens to grow ever larger. "Every interaction consumes finite resources," according to the United Nations University in Canada.
The physical backbone of artificial intelligence, the data centers, consumed an estimated 448 terawatt hours of electricity in 2025. According to the report, AI applications accounted for around a fifth of this. Demand could double by 2030.
Almost half of these data centers (4,165) are located in the USA. However, with 117 data center locations, Switzerland is also one of the 20 largest data center hubs.
