We know that AI models require a lot of compute power and thus consume a lot of electricity, but have you ever considered the massive amounts of water consumption that AI requires? Check out this fascinating Ted Talk with Dr. Shaolei Ren.
Author unknown. 2025-08-01. AI Consumes A Lot of Water But Why?. https://www.ted.com/embed/shaolei_ren_ai_consumes_a_lot_of_water_but_why (AI & Environment Resource Hub; record video-139; collection snapshot 2026-09-15).
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform how water is managed. Yet, these emerging opportunities raise critical considerations around issues such as data governance, energy use, and the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure. To explore these challenges and opportunities, IWRA is launching a new webinar series: "The Promises and Challenges of AI, Data Centres & Freshwater Futures". Bringing together experts from around the world, the series examines the intersection of emerging technologies and water sustainability.
youtube.com
Shared topics: Energy and electricity; Water; Oceans and coasts
AI-powered mapping with WaterNet improves waterway detection in underserved regions, aiding rural infrastructure development and humanitarian planning.
arXiv
Shared topics: Energy and electricity; Water; Oceans and coasts
This working paper proposes the first comprehensive approach to calculate water withdrawals and consumption associated with purchased electricity. It provides the first international country-level and U.S. subnational-level water use factors detailing the grid-average water withdrawal and consumption resulting from a unit of electricity consumption
