this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2026
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Once again: stop letting them use potable fucking drinking water it makes no sense
I thought the majority of their water consumption is indirect via electricity consumption. If we could stop burning freaking coal that would be a start.
But yes, also stop using potable water for evaporative cooling!!
I’m dumb as a brick - why can’t they build the AI centres in very cold regions and just pump air in and out?
Countries in cold regions have governments and laws.
The answer is always money
The infrastructure thats needed isnt always there, nor the people to run or build it.
You cant power it only off solar now because its so far north the array would need to be crazy big, and wouldn't be enough in the winter.
Also even as you go far north summers can still be hot and you'd still need a way to cool it during those times which will require the same water flow capacity even if its for less overall days, so you now need to build 2 cooling systems instead of 1.
It still seems crazy to build these things where they often do, but going somewhere really cold isnt simple.
Edit: also sovereignty of the data center. A US company would prefer to keep it in the US which would give Alaska as an option.
Ah so they need to have close access to power stations to rinse them, and close enough to civilisation to be able to staff and maintain them? I can’t see a good outcome here.
Hey, making food is something we need. Hallucination bots are a new, unnecessary use of water in a time when water is already becoming scarcer due to global warming. Stop sane washing their massive waste, thanks!
Just because other sectors/industries use more doesn't mean what AI data centers use isn't a horrible waste of a limited resource we need to survive.
A majority? Do you have a source?
Almond farming is also bad. There, what now?
sorry for the delayed response. my main point is most people dont care about water usage. if someone all their life was xoncerned about it. fought against golf courses, almond farming, lawn watering and then when data caenters came along and got angry there too, i would never respond.
in all honesty, i think data centers are a waste. i always thought the futire was local models because 90% of the uses are chat bots and dont need all that power. the science fields and health can rent data center time. i thought it would take over 5 years to get there but with nvidia's new rtx spark, i think we may gwt there sooner.
data centers are the real bubble, but people who use water as their main reason is full of shit. the new data centers are closed loop. microsoft's new one wont need new water forntheee years.