Artificial intelligence is considered a key technology for the future – but its ecological footprint is growing rapidly. Google’s AI Gemini exemplifies a dilemma: innovation and sustainability are increasingly clashing. We will discuss this tension in May 2026 at the TransformIT Europe Expo & Conference in Brussels.

By Jan Nintemann and Jochen Siegle, Photo: Google AI, Photo Scott Rodgerson Unsplash

According to Google, a typical Gemini query consumes only 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, 0.03 grams of CO₂ equivalents, and 0.26 milliliters of water – as much as “nine seconds of television or five drops of water.” That sounds harmless, but extrapolated to billions of daily queries, resource consumption reaches the level of entire cities.

Transparency or PR? Small Numbers – Huge Dimensions

Positive: Google has for the first time published concrete figures on the energy consumption of its AI. Critics like Lynn Kaack (Hertie School) and Shaolei Ren (University of California) speak, however, of a whitewashed balance sheet. For example, the indirect water consumption of power plants that supply data centers with electricity is missing. According to company data, the water consumption of Google data centers increased by almost 30% in 2023/24.

Greentech or Greenwashing?

In the report, Google emphasizes efficiency gains per query – but the energy source is crucial: If electricity from fossil fuels is used, the CO₂ footprint remains high. In addition, the total demand for computing power is constantly growing – every efficiency improvement is eaten up by increasing demand. This calls into question the promise of many tech CEOs that AI is a “driver for sustainability.”

More Transparency Demanded

Besides Google, only the French AI startup Mistral has so far disclosed figures. Researchers like Sasha Luccioni are developing approaches for comparable benchmarks with the AI Energy Score. However, uniform standards are lacking – and thus also a reliable basis for regulation and sustainable innovation.

AI: Opportunities and Risks

Artificial intelligence can bring enormous benefits for Greentech and ClimateTech – from smart energy use to industrial decarbonization. At the same time, it threatens to become the biggest new resource guzzler in the digital world. Without clear rules, transparency, and the consistent use of renewable energies, AI will be part of the problem rather than the solution.

Outlook: Discussion at TransformIT Europe 2026

The question of whether AI will become a real lever for sustainability or a new driver for resource consumption remains open. Precisely these areas of tension will be discussed in May 2026 at the TransformIT Europe Expo & Conference in Brussels. There, we will bring together leading minds from tech, politics, and science – to help shape Europe’s path to sustainable, resource-efficient AI.

Already in 2025, the first European Google Developer Group Conference on the Future of European AI took place at TransformIT Europe. GDG Organizers Anna Muzykina and Michael Ramich brought the European tech community together to address this central question.

● https://www.salesforce.com/de/news/ai-energy-score/
● Lynn Kaack (Hertie School) – https://www.hertie-school.org/de/research/faculty-and-researchers/profile/person/kaack
● Shaolei Ren (University of California) – https://shaoleiren.github.io/
● Google Developer Groups Community https://gdg.community.dev/u/mjd8rs/
● European Google Developer Group Conference on the Future of European AI