I've come across quite a few articles suggesting that AI contributes to water waste. While I'm aware that data centers are significant consumers of water, I'm curious about what makes this usage 'waste'—is it because they're using fresh water that could be used for drinking and then turning it into unusable water? If that's the case, how does that process work? Or is there something else at play here? Thanks for any insights!
3 Answers
The concern about water comes from the need for highly pure water. Sometimes, it's easier to pull in new, clean water rather than recycling it due to the cleaning processes required. This can lead to what looks like waste, especially in larger setups.
Honestly, a lot of the noise about AI wasting resources comes from the same folks who complain online using their devices about electricity waste. It seems a bit hypocritical if you ask me. Many just echo the latest trends without giving it much thought.
Water isn't actually wasted in the sense most people think. Data centers operate with a closed-loop cooling system. The water captures heat from the equipment, then gets pumped away to cool down before being cycled back. So, while it uses a lot of water, it's the same water that's used repeatedly throughout the process.
I get what you're saying, but it's not just some trend to care about the environment. We only have so many resources, and AI is rapidly expanding without considering long-term impacts. You might want to check out the article linked earlier about energy and water use!