Enough for Both: AI, Water and Where Data Centres Are Built

Claims that artificial intelligence is draining the world’s water have spread widely online. Data centres, including those running AI, account for about 0.14% of the fresh water humanity withdraws each year; farming, including livestock, and leaking water pipes each account for far more. The risk lies elsewhere: many data centres are being built in regions already short of water, and their location fixes their water source for decades. Using Egypt as an example, the article shows that the means to avoid this already exist, and outlines three measures: non-drinking water for cooling in dry regions, planning for a facility’s whole life, and using AI to reduce water lost from leaking networks. (This is a public-facing summary of paper 119.)

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