Ahead of a major AI conference in Paris, a coalition of over 100 organizations has published an open letter urging the AI industry and regulators to take immediate action to mitigate the technology's harmful environmental impacts. The letter, signed by prominent advocacy groups including Amnesty International and the AI Now Institute, highlights the growing evidence of AI systems driving up emissions, "locking in" reliance on non-renewable energy sources, and exhausting critical resources.

The signatories argue that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, including data centers, is straining electric grids to the breaking point, forcing utilities to rely on coal and other environmentally unfriendly sources of power. Citing data from the International Energy Agency, the letter notes that global data center electricity consumption could double to over 1,000 terawatts by 2026, equivalent to Japan's annual electricity use.

The letter calls for AI infrastructure to be fossil fuels-free, and for governments and tech companies to ensure that new data centers do not deplete water and land resources. The signatories also demand transparency about AI's environmental impacts throughout the "entire AI lifecycle." This includes the significant water usage required to cool chips and maintain safe humidity levels in data centers, with one estimate suggesting that if 1 in 10 U.S. residents used OpenAI's AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT to write an email a week, it would cost over 435 million liters of water.

The letter's signatories assert that their demands "represent the bare minimum" needed to mitigate the ongoing harm from unchecked AI expansion. They argue that countries and communities most vulnerable to rapid climate change are first to be impacted by the harms of AI and its computational demands, and that they have less say in its development. Instead, the signatories urge prioritizing AI processes that contribute meaningfully to society while minimizing environmental and human harm.

However, the U.S., where most major AI companies are based, has signaled that it intends to embrace growth at any cost. President Donald Trump has said that he will use an energy emergency declaration to quickly approve new power stations for AI data centers, including those that use coal for backup power. Trump has also promised to fast-track environmental approvals and other permits for any company making an investment of $1 billion or more domestically.

The open letter serves as a stark reminder of the need for the AI industry and regulators to take a more sustainable approach to the development and deployment of AI technologies. As the world's leading AI experts, policymakers, and industry leaders gather in Paris, the signatories' demands are likely to be a major topic of discussion. Whether the industry will take concrete steps to address its environmental impacts remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the time for action is now.