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AI Could Use as Much Water as 1.3 Billion People by 2030, U.N. Report Warns (time.com)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] -5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I doubt this. Technology is continually improving. Computers get faster and run cooler every day. HVAC systems continue to improve efficiency as well. By 2030 who knows if AI as we currently know it will still be around. Maybe we will have switched to light-based circuitry by then as well.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago

    They're talking 10 gigawatt data centers now. That's multiple small countries worth of power consumption and consequently heat generation. I live in a country of a million point something people and our peak is 1.6 gigawatts. For the entire country. Including multiple non-AI data centers.

    You can improve the HVAC efficiency but fundamentally you still have gigawatts of heat generation to dissipate. You know what's really good for that? Evaporating water, especially in a desert where humidity is low.

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