The Hidden Environmental Cost of Deepfake Videos

These days, it’s almost impossible to scroll through social media without coming across deepfake videos made using artificial intelligence (AI).

Platforms like OpenAI’s Sora have gone viral for their ability to create extremely realistic videos. However, this has also led to a flood of fake clips showing deceased celebrities and historical figures in strange or even offensive situations.

Some families, including that of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., have publicly appealed to AI companies to stop using their loved ones’ likenesses in such videos.

But beyond the emotional and ethical issues, there’s another growing concern — the environmental impact of these AI-generated videos.

Dr. Kevin Grecksch, a lecturer at the University of Oxford, has warned that creating deepfake videos has “a huge hidden impact on the environment.” According to him, the process requires significant computing power, which means these videos aren’t produced on your phone but in massive data centres located around the world.

“These data centres consume a lot of electricity,” Dr. Grecksch explained. “And, on top of that, they use large amounts of water to keep the servers cool.”

To prevent overheating, data centres rely on vast quantities of fresh water to cool their equipment. This has become a serious issue as the popularity of AI video tools continues to skyrocket.

Apps like Sora make it simple for anyone to generate and share deepfake videos on social media. As a result, social feeds are now filled with AI-generated clips. Earlier this month, Sora surpassed one million downloads in under five days and continues to rank among the top apps on the Apple App Store in the United States.

However, Dr. Grecksch believes users need to be more aware of the environmental cost behind the technology.

“There’s a lot of water involved,” he said. “We need to think about what we’re using it for, how we’re using it, and how often we’re using it.”

He noted that while artificial intelligence is here to stay, society must take a more thoughtful approach to managing its infrastructure.

“The cat is already out of the sack when it comes to AI,” Dr. Grecksch said. “But we need more integrated thinking about where we build data centres and how we cool them.”

He also raised concerns about government plans to expand AI development in certain regions. “The government sees south Oxfordshire as one of the main AI growth areas,” he said. “But that’s a massive issue because no one seems to have considered where the water will come from to cool all those servers.”

Dr. Grecksch emphasized that as AI tools become more advanced and widespread, it’s crucial to consider their full environmental footprint — not just their technical brilliance or entertainment value.

“There are a lot of questions we still need to ask,” he concluded.

In short, while deepfake videos continue to amaze and entertain people online, the technology behind them is quietly consuming vast resources. Experts are now urging users, companies, and governments alike to balance innovation with responsibility — before the environmental costs become too high to ignore.