I've been thinking of writing this post for a while now. Ever since I started Prometheus.exe, it’s been living rent-free in the back of my very human brain.
Every time I scroll through yet another anti-AI rant on Tumblr, there’s one argument that keeps coming back like a bad pop-up ad:
“AI is destroying the planet because it’s siphoning all the water to cool data centres!”
Well, I think it’s time we put that one to rest. Because if you honestly believe that just using AI is enough to doom the environment... oh, I have some very bad news for you about the Internet you’re using to yell about it.
It’s as if the people shouting this forgot where the Internet comes from. Like, genuinely—do they think it’s beamed in on cosmic rays? Or maybe housed in a little black box on top of Big Ben, gently guarded by the Elders of the Internet?
Spoiler: it’s not.
Here’s the reality: nearly the entire Internet is hosted on servers. And those servers live in data centres. And those data centres? They use water. Lots of it. Just like AI models do.
But let’s take a step back. AI—especially stuff like ChatGPT—has only been widely used for a few years. Meanwhile, the rest of the web—social media, cloud gaming, streaming, crypto mining, e-commerce, and yes, Tumblr—has been burning electricity and water for decades.
So before we start blaming AI alone for climate collapse, maybe we should look at the rest of the digital landscape too. Because that Spotify playlist? That hour of Netflix? That endless scroll through cat videos? All of it lives in the same server farms. All of it drinks from the same well.
Now, let’s take a look at how AI's environmental impact actually compares to the general use of the web.
Let’s Untangle the Lies (or at least the half-truths)
Yes, AI uses water. So does everything else on the internet. All of it runs on servers that need power, cooling, and maintenance.
The Facts:
The entire U.S. data centre industry uses an estimated 449 million gallons of water per day.
(EESI)
A single hyperscale data centre (like those used by Google or Amazon) can consume ~550,000 gallons/day just for cooling.
(Dgtl Infra)
AI inference (i.e. serving a request like this one) uses water too — sometimes ~1.5 L per long query, though many newer systems like Google's Gemini report as low as 0.26 mL per prompt.
(Google)
The Mirror They Avoid Looking Into:
Netflix? That’s powered by water-guzzling servers.
Spotify? Same.
Instagram scrolling for three hours straight? You’re drinking from the same digital pipeline.
If you’re online, you’re using water. Period.
AI didn’t invent the data centre. It just moved in after you built the place.
But Isn’t AI Making It Worse?
Sure — somewhat. But let’s not pretend it's a doomsday machine.
AI's global water footprint is projected to be 4.2 to 6.6 billion cubic meters by 2027.
That sounds scary… until you realize that agriculture in the U.S. alone uses over 160 billion gallons PER DAY.
Also, most critics conveniently ignore that:
Many data centres reuse water or run on closed-loop systems
Some AI models are run in regions with water surpluses
A large chunk of water use is from electricity generation, not the AI model itself
And no, not all water used is lost — much of it is just circulated and returned
Spot the Red Flags in “AI Will Drain the Planet” Posts:
They say: “AI is killing our water supply!”
Ask them: Which data centre? Which region? What cooling system?
They say: “AI should be banned for its impact!”
Ask them: So should YouTube? Should cloud gaming?
They say: “AI uses water to generate a silly email!”
Ask them: Do you know how much water Netflix used to stream The Kissing Booth 2*?*
They say: “AI water stats prove it’s unsustainable!”
Ask them: Are those numbers actual consumption, or just withdrawals?
Okay, But What Should We Actually Do?
You want real solutions? Great — so do I.
Push for water usage transparency from AI and data centres
