Artificial Intelligence and Environmental Sustainability: The Need for a Regulatory Framework

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has in no time become both an ally and a quiet threat to the planet. On one side, AI is helping scientists forecast the climate, track pollution, protect wildlife, and run power grids more efficiently. On the other side, the data centres that train and run AI consume large amounts of electricity and freshwater, produce carbon emissions, and add to a growing pile of electronic waste. This paper looks at both sides of that story. It reviews what researchers have learned so far about AI’s environmental footprint, summarises the main findings, and asks whether our existing environmental, technology, and data laws are ready to govern AI responsibly. It then turns to the Indian context, where a rapid build-out of AI data centres is meeting a power system that still leans on coal and a regulatory regime designed for factories rather than server farms. The paper argues for a regulatory framework built on transparency, mandatory environmental reporting, climate-justice safeguards, and lifecycle accountability, so that AI can advance sustainability without quietly undermining it.