The Hindu·4 min read·medium

Hidden Environmental Cost of Powering Growing Digital and AI-World

M
Mohamed Yunuss
Hidden Environmental Cost of Powering Growing Digital and AI-World
AI Summary

Research indicates that AI systems like ChatGPT have a significant hidden water footprint due to the cooling requirements of data centers. Despite this environmental cost, Indian states are aggressively incentivizing the construction of large-scale data hubs, leading to local protests over resource depletion.

Indicating an invisible water footprint behind instant responses generated by systems such as ChatGPT, a research from the University of California, Riverside, estimates that a typical conversation with ChatGPT, involving around 20 to 50 exchanges, can consume as much as half a litre of water — a hidden environmental cost of rising dependence on artificial intelligence (AI).

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