Artificial intelligence may feel weightless, but every AI query relies on vast physical infrastructure consuming enormous amounts of electricity. Here’s how much energy ChatGPT actually uses, why AI workloads demand so much power, and what the rapid growth of AI data centres means for the future of global energy systems.

Data centre energy consumption is accelerating faster than renewables can keep up. From the 415 terawatt hours already being consumed annually, to water shortages in small American towns, to Big Tech's nuclear pivot, this piece maps the full environmental cost of the AI infrastructure boom and asks who is really paying for it.