Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant frontier it’s embedded in the rhythm of Kenya’s innovation ecosystem. Platforms like ChatGPT have become part of daily workflows for students, creatives, and businesses alike. However, as the adoption curve steepens, a vital question lingers in the background: what is the environmental cost of this progress?
Globally, AI systems demand massive volumes of electricity and water to function from the energy required to power data centres to the water used to keep servers cool. For a country like Kenya, where digital aspirations and climate vulnerabilities coexist, this reality cannot be ignored.
