As artificial intelligence technologies are rapidly spreading around the world, the impact of this growth on energy consumption is increasingly on the agenda. Currently, 20 percent of the electricity consumed in data centers is used by artificial intelligence applications. It is said that this rate could double by the end of the year.

The energy needs of artificial intelligence will create a global crisis

It is stated that the energy demand of artificial intelligence is increasing very rapidly and is about to surpass Bitcoin mining. The investment volume directed to artificial intelligence by major technology companies such as Google and Microsoft is much greater than that of crypto mining.

The processing power required for the operation of artificial intelligence applications and the server infrastructure used also directly affect the climate targets of technology giants. The 2024 Sustainability Report published by Google stated that the company’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 48 percent since 2019.

According to the April 2025 report of the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers consumed approximately 415 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024. This amount is almost the same as Saudi Arabia’s annual energy consumption. If the current growth trend continues, this consumption is expected to exceed 900 TWh by 2030.

Although the energy consumption of data centers is not disclosed in detail, direct data on how much energy AI applications consume is still limited. Because these centers also host cloud computing, online services, and different digital infrastructures.

So what do you think about this? You can share your views with us in the comments section below.