Major technology companies are experiencing significant increases in carbon emissions driven by artificial intelligence expansion. Google and Microsoft each reported 25% year-over-year emissions growth from 2025 to 2026, while Amazon’s emissions rose 16% during the same period. Combined, these three companies produced approximately 19 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in the last fiscal year, equivalent to roughly one-third of France’s total emissions.
The emissions trajectory is expected to accelerate further as tech companies invest heavily in data center infrastructure. Amazon announced plans this week for a large natural gas power plant in South Texas designed to support a major data center project. If constructed according to current specifications, the facility would be permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, making it potentially the largest-emitting power plant in the country. Industry observers note that this project may signal broader trends in how technology companies plan to meet their energy demands.
Research published in NPJ Climate Action, a Nature journal publication, presents findings that suggest the net effect of AI integration on global emissions will be substantially negative. Scientists modeling various scenarios found that artificial intelligence improvements to both the fossil fuel and renewable energy sectors would result in annual emissions increases between 0.47 billion and 1.8 billion tons globally. To achieve net emissions reductions, the renewable energy sector would need to realize productivity gains 4 to 5 times greater than those achieved by the fossil fuel sector.
The researchers conclude that absent significant policy interventions, artificial intelligence is positioned to reinforce the dominance of fossil fuels in the global economy. The study indicates that this reinforcement effect substantially outweighs direct emissions from the data centers powering AI systems themselves. These findings represent a departure from earlier technology industry commitments to decarbonization and net-zero emissions targets.
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