Gloria Mendoza’s image, ‘The Environmental Impact of Data Centres in Vulnerable Ecosystems’ is the latest addition in the Better Images of AI library. The image contrasts dominant sci-fi-inspired visuals and the magical framing of the technology by centring the environmental impacts of AI which contribute to erosion, water scarcity, and drought.
Why did you choose to communicate about AI’s environmental impact in your image?
When thinking about the environmental impacts of AI on our communities, I was struck by how deeply its infrastructure depends on natural resources, especially water. The way AI technologies draw from nature, redirecting resources toward massive data centers to cool servers, and how this process quietly affects regions across the United States and the world already facing water stress, was a subject I wanted to bring to light and illustrate in straightforward, accessible terms.
How did reading Empire of AI inspire your image?
The book presents concise examples, something that’s hard to find when it comes to AI and automation (although see here and here). Before reading it, the environmental impacts of AI were somewhat blurry in my mind, but the book sparked my curiosity to explore how data centers are built—where they’re located, what equipment they use, how maintenance is done, and whether they can be sustainable in the long term. These questions inspired me to create this image using clear, minimal elements to illustrate the concerns I believe many people share.
How do you approach creating images that aim to represent AI more accurately and inclusively?
The topic of AI often feels abstract and full of jargon, which is a major challenge for illustrators in the field. It tends to distance the public from its real-world meaning and impact. Through mixed-media collage, I found a way to shed light on what a single photograph could not capture: data centers, servers, and the natural resources used to sustain them.
The tension between the organic feel of hand-drawn pixel graphics representing nature and the pixel-perfect precision of technology was carefully considered. This contrast became central to the piece.
Another challenge when visualizing these dynamics was how to represent people with dignity and accuracy. I evaluated line art versus photographs, both stock and archival, and ultimately my instincts drew me toward archival imagery. Stock photos, in this context, didn’t feel connected to the real people behind the issue. It was also important to avoid harmful tropes, such as depictions of African children collecting water, since the water shortages mentioned in the book were specific to the United States. Archival photographs, with their journalistic quality, convey a sense of authenticity and create a compelling contrast when placed alongside modern technological artifacts.
How do you think visual art can influence public understanding and perception of AI?
Visual art can help the public understand this topic because creativity and conceptual thinking are powerful tools artists use to make complex ideas accessible, legible, and thought-provoking. We are living in a decisive moment where debate and action are imperative, and art helps bridge the gap between concepts that civil society may not be fully literate in and the processes of decision-making. It is important that these ideas are understood and discussed by all of us—not just technology designers and policymakers.
What kind of images do you envision for the future representation of AI?
I envision images that center the human experience in relation to technology; works that are explicit, relevant, and grounded in research. Representations of AI can take many tones: critical, informative, enraging, or saddening, and these are approaches artists can continue to explore while keeping their concepts rooted in figurative representation.
How has contributing to the Better Images of AI influenced your own views on AI and its environmental impact?
In the end, this project became more than just an illustration; it was a way of thinking about how technology and ecology intersect, and how images can make invisible systems visible, sparking reflection, curiosity, and awareness.
About the artist and author
Gloria Mendoza is a Colombian-American artist and designer dedicated to using visual storytelling to spark conversations around social issues and societal challenges. With a background in art direction, brand identity, and illustration, she creates research-based imagery that bridges the gap between data and public understanding. Her work invites critical thinking about equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Featured image credit: Gloria Mendoza / Better Images of AI / CC BY 4.0
