By Dr Zaman Eddie Tongper
A few days ago, the world observed World Environment Day 2026 under the theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.” Like many people, I spent some time thinking about the environment and the challenges facing future generations. In fact, this thought came to me while I was preparing a class on sustainable tourism development. As I was reading about the responsible use of natural resources and the importance of balancing development with sustainability, I came across a fact that stopped me in my tracks. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside and Microsoft estimated that a conversation with an AI system such as ChatGPT could indirectly consume water through the cooling of data centres. Their study suggested that roughly 20 to 50 prompts may be associated with about 500 millilitres of water consumption, depending on where and how the computing takes place. In simple terms, a single AI prompt could be linked to several teaspoons of water. That may not sound like much. But then I wondered, what happens when billions of prompts are generated every day? Most of us think of artificial intelligence as something virtual. We imagine words appearing on a screen. We do not think about the physical infrastructure behind it. Yet every AI response comes from powerful computers housed inside data centres. These machines generate enormous amounts of heat and often require cooling systems that consume water and electricity. The more AI the world uses, the more energy and infrastructure will be needed to support it. At the same time, another transition is taking place. Countries around the world are trying to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. One solution being explored is ethanol, a fuel commonly produced from crops such as sugarcane and maize. Here in India, ethanol blending has become an important part of the country’s energy strategy. Viewed separately, both developments make sense. AI has the potential to improve healthcare, education, agriculture and transportation. Cleaner fuels can help reduce dependence on conventional petroleum.
But when I put these two trends together, an interesting question emerged, not for us, but for our grandchildren. Consider how quickly technology is advancing. Self-driving vehicles, once confined to science-fiction novels, are already operating on public roads in some parts of the world. Intelligent robots are working in warehouses and factories. AI systems are helping businesses, governments and individuals make decisions every day. What will the world look like in another fifty years? If millions of vehicles depend on fuels derived from crops, and billions of AI-powered systems depend on data centres that consume energy and water, will we begin placing greater pressure on the same natural resources? A field of maize may become both food and fuel. Water may be needed not only for people and agriculture, but also for the digital infrastructure that powers artificial intelligence. Land, water and energy, the foundations of civilization, could face demands from directions that previous generations never imagined. This is not a prediction of a crisis, nor is it a warning about robots taking over the world. Machines do not make claims on resources by themselves. Humans do. The real question is how wisely we choose to allocate those resources as technology becomes more deeply woven into our lives. Perhaps future innovations will solve these challenges long before they become significant. More efficient AI systems, renewable energy, advanced cooling technologies and new forms of sustainable fuel may change the equation entirely. I hope they do. But World Environment Day is not only about solving today’s environmental problems. It is also about asking tomorrow’s environmental questions. And here is one that I believe is worth asking, as artificial intelligence grows smarter, vehicles become cleaner and technology becomes more powerful, are we paying enough attention to the natural resources that will make all of it possible or is that a question we are leaving for our grandchildren to answer?
