The Water Crisis: AI Servers and the Thirst for Innovation

Data centers that house generative AI servers, such as Microsoft and Google, are consuming enormous amounts of water for cooling purposes, according to their latest environmental reports. Microsoft's water consumption increased by 34% in 2022, using over 1.7 billion gallons of water, while Google reported a 20% spike. The majority of this increase is attributed to the growing popularity of AI models. Experts suggest that the focus should also be on reducing energy consumption, as water used by data centers is often recycled, unlike energy. Microsoft aims to become "water positive" by 2030, while OpenAI acknowledges the energy and water-intensive nature of AI training and is actively working on improving efficiencies.