Chatham House
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AI water usage requires governments to rethink their approach to water
EXPERT COMMENT
From the local impact of data centres to risks in the global supply chain, water use for AI threatens to exacerbate existing stress on water resources.
Recent months have seen a growing backlash against AI technologies as they develop and are deployed at scale. Water use in data centres and the stress that use is putting on local water resources has been part of this backlash. A recent survey found that most Americans would rather have a nuclear power plant in their area than a data centre.
Globally, communities are now facing competition over their water from AI-driven data centre operations. Many of these communities were already feeling the effects of longstanding water management challenges exacerbated by climate impacts.
As countries including the UK embrace the rapid build out of AI infrastructure, governments and companies must ensure that water use is managed sustainably and transparently or risk further backlash against AI on a wider scale.
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Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/06/ai-water-usage-requires-governments-rethink-their-approach-water
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