AI data centers in Scotland are using enough water to fill 27 million half-liter bottles every year, according to the BBC.
What's happening?
AI data centers are popping up all over the world, including 16 in Scotland. That number is also expected to grow in the coming years. These centers require a lot of power and use large amounts of water. The water keeps the hard drives cool enough to answer the questions and perform the tasks that people around the world regularly ask of AI.
Right now, most of these systems are considered "open loop." The water comes in, cools the system, and doesn't get reused. Colin Lindsay, an operations manager with Scottish Water, said: "Open-loop systems use enormous amounts of water."
Why is conserving water used by AI data centers important?
AI offers many benefits and has plenty of potential to improve our world. It can help us better understand and optimize energy systems. The Columbia Climate School explained that AI can analyze large amounts of data quickly, so it can help us make informed decisions about pursuits such as reducing carbon pollution and may help us move toward sustainability faster.
According to the United Nations, though, AI requires massive amounts of rare earth elements, energy, and water, and that's in addition to the ways it can be misused and the security issues around it.
When we see the consequences of these downsides, like in Scotland, it should remind us how far we have to go when it comes to making sure AI is used well.
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What's being done about water use in Scottish AI data centers?
Experts in Scotland are pushing to have AI data centers moved toward closed-loop solutions, which cool and reuse water, rather than constantly requiring a new supply.
They are also pushing for transparency from these centers about energy and water use. Professor Ana Basiri, an AI expert from the University of Glasgow, noted that without transparency, "we can't really measure this [the environmental impact of these centers]."
If AI data centers concern you, talk about them with your family and friends. You may also want to invest in ways to clean water used by these centers or learn more about contaminated water in general.
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