As artificial intelligence advances rapidly, data centres have become a significant consumer of water, using millions of litres daily for cooling purposes. A single AI chatbot response uses approximately 500 milliliters of clean drinking water, adding up to billions of litres each day.
Data centres house thousands of powerful servers that generate heat, requiring water-based cooling systems. This strain on already limited water resources is causing concern in countries like the US, China, Ireland, and others, which are already facing water scarcity crises.
Experts warn that increasing water demand from data centres could impact agriculture and drinking water supplies, exacerbating problems in vulnerable areas as global temperatures rise. Environmentalists call for international regulations to curb unchecked water usage by the tech industry, arguing that unregulated advancements could jeopardise human survival.
Campaigners advocate for laws to prevent water wastage linked to AI technologies, citing the need for urgent action to protect communities’ access to safe drinking water.
Source: https://english.aaj.tv/news/330435555/data-centres-water-consumption-raises-concerns-amid-ai-boom