Tech Giants' AI Thirst Raises Concerns Over Data Centers' Water Usage

Microsoft's water usage spiked 30% from 2021 to 2022, up to 1.7 billion gallons, to cool AI supercomputers at data centers.
The increase is tied to Microsoft's investment in AI like OpenAI, whose Iowa data center draws water from local rivers also used for drinking water.
This has raised concerns for the local utility company about future data center projects' high water demands.
Google has also seen a 20% increase in water usage in 2022 to cool its own AI systems.
Heatwaves are challenging tech companies to keep data centers cool, like Twitter and Google centers that shut down during heatwaves.

gizmodo.com

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Posted 9/11/2023, 7:15:00 PM

Tech Giants' AI Thirst Raises Concerns Over Data Centers' Water Usage

Microsoft's water usage spiked 30% from 2021 to 2022, up to 1.7 billion gallons, to cool AI supercomputers at data centers.
The increase is tied to Microsoft's investment in AI like OpenAI, whose Iowa data center draws water from local rivers also used for drinking water.
This has raised concerns for the local utility company about future data center projects' high water demands.
Google has also seen a 20% increase in water usage in 2022 to cool its own AI systems.
Heatwaves are challenging tech companies to keep data centers cool, like Twitter and Google centers that shut down during heatwaves.

gizmodo.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/2/2023

The Bill Comes Due for Microsoft’s AI Push

8/28/2023

AI data centers use a lot of electricity & water: Can supply keep up?

The rising demand for AI technology and data centers is creating a supply issue due to the massive amounts of electricity and water required to operate and cool these facilities.

9/9/2023

Microsoft's Iowa AI Supercomputer Guzzles Water to Power ChatGPT, Concerning Local Officials

Tech developers including Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are facing increased water consumption and environmental impact due to the energy-intensive nature of training large AI models.

9/9/2023

Microsoft and Google's Thirsty AI Drives Big Spikes in Tech Water Use

9/30/2023

AI Boom Set to Drive Massive Surge in Data Center Energy Use Despite Efforts Toward Efficiency

10/2/2023

Smart Water Management Market Size to Reach $28B by 2028 Driven by Water Scarcity and Aging Infrastructure