AI will consume as much water in 2030 as 1.3B people(english.elpais.com)
31 pointsby dnnddidiej8 hours ago8 comments
  • handoflixue7 hours ago
    "The operation of AI will require 14,500 square kilometres of land"

    I'm always so confused by articles that try to scare you with big numbers. We have tons of land. Land is one of the few things we are not at all running out of, especially in the USA. The USA is 9,372,610 square kilometers. 1% of that is 93,000, so this is like 0.2% of the US?

    It's such a transparent scare tactic, and a clear sign the article isn't interested in raising any credible concerns - just rabble rousing.

    • dnnddidiej4 hours ago
      But will data centres tend to be near hotspots like current AWS main regions or typical edge locations like major cities. Then add all other requirements and you get that you probably stick some of that IMBY rather than in the middle of the desert.
    • verdverm7 hours ago
      Not to mention that there are different types of water cooled data centers. We can pass regulations to force them to use the type that does not use evaporative cooling.

      Does it cost more? Yes.

      Can they afford it? Yes.

  • fennecbutt6 hours ago
    And how does that compare to farming almonds, alfalfa or the beef industry for your all American hamburger?

    Ah, so you're a vegan? Well compare it then to the water used to produce your foods, to manufacture the van that brings you the food and the extraction of the oil that powers it.

    Without context, stats about datacenter water usage are FUD bullshit.

    *billion people in subsaharan Africa lovely clickbait title who needs AI for slop.

    Also a site that "pay us to decline cookies" can fuck right off.

  • Rebelgecko3 hours ago
    Where does the water go, steam?
  • FloorEgg7 hours ago
    That's nothing... at the current rate, datacenters will consume the total energy input of earth's biosphere by 2100!

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GQbS34OkMF6q9r0ZyuSv...

    • dnnddidiej4 hours ago
      Will they be smart enough then to build infra in space i.e. dyson. Will they do mining of other planets? And will humans be pets.
      • free_bip3 hours ago
        What makes you think infra in space is smart? How are you going to dissipate heat?
        • dnnddidiejan hour ago
          If you used all the planets light it is the only option. Radiation.
          • akomtu16 minutes ago
            A light source emitting gigawatts on the orbit is going to turn night into day.
  • codeddesign7 hours ago
    So..what you are saying is that the movie Oblivion is a documentary.
  • postalrat7 hours ago
    The sun will remain the largest consumer of water for a very long time.
  • rms2ds8 hours ago
    Well the way its going, we will have so much more water when the iceburg(s) start really melting so problem solved right? lol
    • dragonwriter8 minutes ago
      Icebergs melting do not increase the supply of freshwater (Glaciers on land melting do, though perhaps not on an ongoing basis.)
  • damnitbuilds7 hours ago
    "B"

    Because "billion" was too hard to type.