AI’s Water Footprint: A Growing Flashpoint in the Southwest

As tech companies rapidly expand data centers for AI, communities from Texas to Arizona are protesting the facilities' heavy water and energy use. Data centers rely on evaporative cooling to manage heat, with processors reaching internal temperatures up to 176°F.

However, the actual water consumption is disputed, with claims ranging from 500 ml per chatbot query to assertions that the problem is negligible. Tech companies' own water-use reports remain incomplete and inconsistent, adding to the uncertainty.