The Hidden Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Only Collective Action can Protect Our Water Resources

 

AI rendered image of a Data Center's water usage - "Sarky"?

Listen Link: The Hidden Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Only Collective Action can Protect Our Water Resources

As an avid and passionate user of AI, I was filled with so many mixed and conflicting emotions while putting this post together. These ranged from intense guilt and anger to absolute intractable shock & horror about our ignorance and cavalier attitude in exercising good judgement on this, our most important life giving and life sustaining resource on the planet!

Before I opine on this topic, I plead with you my friends to watch the video that inspired me to write this piece, from Context, Thompson Reuters Foundation (Ref. 1). I also encourage you to read the links, provided in my references below, to get a detailed view of this alarming and consequential problem.

AI is now a crucial part of our everyday routines, influencing everything from customized recommendations on streaming services to sophisticated tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta, Social Media and yes, even DeepSeek. While it holds the potential to change how we live, work, and connect, this potential also comes with a significant hidden cost: the unsustainable drain on the planet's freshwater resources.

The servers powering AI require enormous amounts of water to keep cool during operation. While this may sound like a technical detail, its real-world consequences are profound and heartbreaking. Each interaction with AI systems, even something as simple as asking a chatbot a question, contributes to water usage that, when multiplied millions of times over, has far-reaching effects. Studies estimate that every 10-50 user queries consume nearly half a liter of water. When combined with the sheer volume of daily interactions globally, the numbers climb to hundreds of millions of liters annually. This water, critical to the operation of sprawling data centers, is often diverted from local communities that desperately need it.

In Mexico and parts of Southeast Asia, this crisis is already being felt. Communities in these regions face severe water shortages, where families sometimes receive water for daily usage only once a week. Imagine rationing water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, knowing that your local water supply is being drained to keep someone’s social media feed running smoothly or to train AI models for automated customer service. The irony is tragic: the most cutting-edge technologies in the world are built on the backs of some of the most vulnerable populations.

The problem isn’t confined to developing nations. In drought-stricken regions like Chile and parts of the United States, AI-driven data centers are intensifying water scarcity. For instance, a single data center can consume millions of gallons of water annually, often in areas already grappling with record-low water levels. In the United Kingdom, the development of AI “growth zones” has raised alarms about their impact on local reservoirs designed to address water shortages in the southeast. Time and again, we see the same pattern: technological progress prioritized over human survival.

This is not just an issue for governments or corporations to solve; we are all complicit. As consumers, we indulge in endless scrolling, binge-watching, and image or video hoarding without a second thought about the environmental toll. Every selfie stored in the cloud, every short clip streamed on repeat, and every AI-powered query answered contributes to this crisis. Our digital habits have physical consequences, and it’s time we confronted that reality.

What can we do? First, we must demand transparency and accountability from tech giants. Companies must disclose how much water their data centers consume and commit to sustainable practices, such as transitioning to air-cooled technology to optimize cooling efficiency. Governments, too, have a role to play by regulating excessive water usage and incentivizing sustainable innovations in data center infrastructure.

But individual action is just as critical. We must rethink how we use technology. Do we really need to back up every photo, stream every video in ultra-high definition, or spend hours mindlessly refreshing feeds? Small changes in our digital behavior can collectively reduce demand for the resources required to power our tech. By using technology more mindfully, we can lessen our contribution to this global water crisis.

The water flowing through our taps is the same water that sustains agriculture, quenches thirst, and supports ecosystems. Allowing it to be consumed unchecked by AI systems is a path we cannot afford to take. The communities most affected by these shortages are the ones least equipped to fight back, and their suffering should not be the price of convenience for the rest of us.

The future of AI and technology is exciting, but it cannot come at the cost of one of Earth’s most precious resources. It’s time we took responsibility—not just as consumers but as stewards of our planet. Let’s demand better from the companies driving this crisis and, more importantly, from ourselves. Together, we can ensure that progress does not come at the expense of our humanity.

Refs: 1. Forget jobs. AI is coming for your water

2. As Use of A.I. Soars, So Does the Energy and Water It Requires - Yale E360

3. Tania Rodríguez: The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024 | TIME

4. Water shortage fears as Labour’s first AI growth zone sited close to new reservoir | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian