Silently growing thirst of AI: Artificial Intelligence is drinking the earth’s water, alarm bells are rising

Water consumption by AI: Fingers move on the mobile screen, a question is typed and within a few seconds the answer appears. Today Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI has become such a common part of our everyday life that we do not feel the need to think about how big a system is working behind it. But the AI ​​which we consider to be smart, fast and future technology is silently depleting the earth’s water rapidly.

AI and water: an overlooked but serious crisis

Recent research has shockingly revealed that the annual water consumption of Artificial Intelligence systems may now be more than the amount of bottled water used in a year in the entire world. This figure may sound strange, but this truth is now slowly coming to light within the tech industry.

Is AI drinking more water than humans?

AI is not magic that floats in the air. Behind this are huge data centers, where thousands of servers work non-stop day and night. When these servers run, a large amount of heat is generated. To control this heat, water is used on a large scale. This water is actually the fuel of AI, about which common users are rarely told.

According to research, by 2025, AI-enabled systems can consume 300 to 700 billion liters of water annually. In comparison, this quantity is more than the bottled water sold in the entire world. This means that AI machines are silently using more water than the water people are buying and drinking.

Not only water but also electricity burden is heavy

The matter is not limited to water only. These data centers require huge amounts of electricity to run, and electricity means more carbon emissions. It is estimated that in the coming years, the carbon footprint generated by AI could be equal to the annual pollution of many big cities. Surprisingly, most of the big tech companies do not make public the actual water and electricity consumption of their data centres.

small questions, big impact

Each AI question may seem small, but its impact adds up. When millions of people use AI tools every day, this small consumption adds up to billions of liters of water. This is why experts have now started warning that if this pace of AI continues without concrete planning, the water crisis will deepen.

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Who will pay the price of the future?

The world is already facing water crisis. Water supply is limited in many cities, groundwater level in villages is falling rapidly and climate change is making the situation worse. In such a situation, this increasing water expenditure of AI raises a big question. Experts believe that the price of this technology is being paid for by the water of future generations.

It is neither possible nor necessary to stop AI, but it is now clear that smart features and fast responses alone are not enough. The question is also how much water is AI taking, from where and who will take responsibility for it. It is a matter of relief that some AI companies are working on such options by which water and electricity consumption can be reduced.