This BBC World Service video explains how AI chatbots and data centers consume significant amounts of drinking water for cooling, with experts estimating that 10–50 AI queries can use roughly 500ml of water. It covers how liquid cooling systems work, why clean drinking water is required, and notes that up to 80% of cooling water evaporates. Communities in Spain, India, Chile, Uruguay, and the US have protested data centers' strain on local water and electricity resources, while tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta pledge water neutrality by 2030 and explore innovations such as waterless cooling and underwater data centers.
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