After the most prominent Blockchains shifted from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), and with the receding hype around crypto itself, we rarely hear claims of Blockchain technology being detrimental to the environment anymore. Instead, there’s a new kid on the block: AI.
Water usage by tech giants such as Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google has significantly increased in recent years, directly linked to the soaring demands for AI tools. But how exactly are these demands related to water consumption?
Developing AI tools demands a tremendous amount of computing power, which in turn generates a lot of heat. To keep these systems cool, especially on hot days, data centers must pump water – often directing it to a cooling tower outside their vast, warehouse-sized buildings.
In its latest environmental report, Microsoft announced a staggering 34% increase in its global water use from 2021 to 2022. This amounted to nearly 1.7 billion gallons – more than 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools – a significant jump from previous years that independent researchers directly link to the company’s intensive AI research.
Furthermore, researchers estimate that ChatGPT alone consumes the equivalent of a 16-ounce water bottle for each query within a series of 5 to 50 prompts or questions.
However, water use is only one facet of the broader environmental impact of AI.
This raises a crucial question: How will we strike a balance between the undeniable advantages gained from AI and the significant fallbacks for our environment?
Perhaps AI itself will come to the rescue?