AI water usage requires governments to rethink their approach to water

(Leslie Morris-Iveson – Chatham House) Recent months have seen a growing backlash against AI technologies as they develop and are deployed at scale. Water use in data centres and the stress that use is putting on local water resources has been part of this backlash. A recent survey found that most Americans would rather have a nuclear power plant in their area than a data centre. Globally, communities are now facing competition over their water from AI-driven data centre operations. Many of these communities were already feeling the effects of longstanding water management challenges exacerbated by climate impacts. As countries including the UK embrace the rapid build out of AI infrastructure, governments and companies must ensure that water use is managed sustainably and transparently or risk further backlash against AI on a wider scale. – AI water usage requires governments to rethink their approach to water | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank