AI Could Use as Much Water as 1.3 Billion People by 2030, U.N. Report Warns

The artificial intelligence boom consuming Silicon Valley's data centers is quietly draining one of the world's most precious resources: water consumption for AI systems could rival the drinking needs of 1.3 billion people within six years, according to a stark new United Nations report. The warning exposes a hidden environmental cost of the AI revolution that has largely escaped public scrutiny even as tech companies race to build ever-larger models without meaningful restrictions on their resource consumption. With major water sources already stressed by climate change and agriculture, the arrival of thirsty AI systems threatens to intensify competition for fresh water in arid regions where data centers are increasingly being built.

Time Magazine·2d ago