The surge in demand for AI results from the booming market for artificial intelligence, and data centres are proliferating. According to the Financial Times, this raises serious concerns about environmental sustainability and water use. The world's most significant concentration of these facilities is in Virginia's ""data centre alley,"" where water use has increased by about two-thirds since 2019. In 2023, US data centers consumed about 75 billion gallons of water. Experts warned about the potential effects on the environment as the race to develop AI quickens.
The surge in demand for AI results from the booming market for artificial intelligence, and data centres are proliferating. According to the Financial Times, this raises serious concerns about environmental sustainability and water use. The world's most significant concentration of these facilities is in Virginia's ""data centre alley,"" where water use has increased by about two-thirds since 2019. In 2023, US data centers consumed about 75 billion gallons of water. Experts warned about the potential effects on the environment as the race to develop AI quickens.