How much of a problem is AI’s water use?
The rapid expansion of AI data centers is driving increased water consumption for cooling purposes, sparking local protests in drought-prone regions. While data centers currently account for a small fraction of total water usage, their footprint is expected to grow significantly.
Why it matters
It addresses the environmental sustainability of the AI boom and the potential for local resource conflicts between tech infrastructure and communities.
dihydrogen monoxide usage trends How much of a problem is AI’s water use? AI’s water footprint is growing, but location and cooling technology make a difference.
33 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav “Protect our water,” “Water for people not AI,” “Don’t mess with our water,” declare protest signs from Texas to New Mexico to Arizona. Angered by water use, energy consumption, and pollution, locals are increasingly protesting the rapid expansion of data centers in the United States as tech companies work to rapidly expand capacity for AI.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in