Data Center Boom in Arizona Desert Drives Sustainability Concerns Over AI's Growing Energy and Water Demands
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New data centers are being built rapidly in the Arizona desert to meet demand for AI models like ChatGPT, straining water and energy resources.
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Microsoft has pledged to be carbon-negative and water-positive by 2030, but its resource consumption rose 33% in 2022 amid its AI push.
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Tensions are arising over data centers' water use in Arizona and beyond as their growth collides with climate change extremes.
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AI models are far more computationally intensive than past applications, exponentially increasing data centers' energy and cooling demands.
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Microsoft is keeping internal estimates on AI's future energy costs private while publicly claiming AI will cut emissions, concerning some employees.