Microsoft's water consumption rises to 22bn liters amid AI boom
Image Credit: economic times
The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has led to a surge in water consumption. As reported by the Financial Times, tech giants like Microsoft have substantially increased their water usage for cooling data centers, sparking concerns about the environmental impact. A study from the University of California, published in Nature, emphasizes the need to address the hidden water footprint of AI models, especially with increasing freshwater scarcity, ongoing droughts, and outdated water infrastructure.