AI data centers drink 264 billion gallons amid historic U.S. drought
Water consumption has remained one of the key concerns surrounding increase artificial intelligence usage across the world, and staggering figures have just been revealed indicating that data centers 'drink' 264 billion gallons of water each year — and that figure is only going up.
This would be a considerable issue at any time, but it's especially pressing right now as the United States is facing a historic drought, and fears surrounding the impending 'super' El Niño this summer are only going to make that an even bigger problem.
One consideration is the fact that AI accounts for 'only' around 20 per cent of the total consumption drawn from data centers right now – so the amount of water used directly for the new tech is lower than that 264 billion gallon figure – but it is still a prominent contributor that will only grow with time.
As reported by Barchart, data from market research firm Mordor Intelligence indicates that the overall water consumption for data centers in 2025 equals the annual usage of around 1.8 million Americans.
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On top of this, daily water consumption of around 550 million gallons equals the entirety of the world's bottled water industry, showing quite how much is going to 'waste', depending on your view on the matter.
People are also starting to discover links between excess power or water consumption and redundant AI habits, as research has indicated the shocking amount that is wasted every time you use pleasantries like 'please' and 'thank you' when talking to ChatGPT.
This pairs with a report from the United Nations University illustrating the horrific impact that AI is already having on the environment worldwide, demanding action be taken that reduces the strain put on our climate.
While research has produced the surprising conclusion that AI data centers don't actually negatively impact house prices, many residents nearby one of the several thousand cropping up across the country have expressed their frustration and opposition to the new infrastructure.
Tennessee is one of the biggest spots for this, as it's home to Elon Musk's AI supercomputer which is allegedly spreading harmful pollution that leaves residents 'struggling to breathe' as a result of supposedly 'illegal' generators on site.
Musk plans to expand this data center in both size and power draw, meaning that even more water will be demanded — putting even more pressure on a state that's suffering it's fourth-lowest recorded runoff levels in the last 152 years, according to a new update from The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).