The accelerating growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers has led to serious water and power problems in various parts of the world, The New York Times (NYT) reported.
For example, the opening of a data center in Mexico has led to more frequent power outages, and water outages that used to last for days are now lasting for weeks. Water shortages have led to school closures and an outbreak of intestinal infections in the town of Las Cenizas.
The events in Mexico echo numerous other similar examples as the AI boom and related infrastructure “put additional strain on fragile electrical and water infrastructure around the world,” the paper notes. The NYT estimates that data centers needed to power neural networks could consume 4.4 percent of the world’s electricity, or 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours, by 2035.
In Ireland, such centers consume more than 20 percent of the country’s electricity. In Chile and South Africa, where power outages have been reported, data centers are putting additional strain on national grids. Similar concerns have been raised in Brazil, the UK, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore and Spain. According to an analysis by industry firm Synergy Research Group, as of the end of June, nearly 60% of the world’s 1,244 largest data centres were located outside the US, with major investors including US tech giants OpenAI, Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
Investment bank UBS estimates that companies will spend $375bn on data centres worldwide this year and $500bn by 2026. The expansion of the global data centre network is being driven by governments’ desire to gain a foothold in the AI market. They are providing discounted land, tax breaks and access to resources to build data centres, while avoiding regulatory interference and information disclosure. Tech companies, which are looking to build data centers to support new AI models and create “superintelligence,” say the boom has created jobs and attracted investment.
According to Rosie Leonard, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth Ireland, the data center industry is “at the intersection of environmental and social issues.” “There’s a perception that data centers are necessary and will make us rich and prosperous, but we’re in a crisis right now,” the environmentalist added.