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Everybody's Lost Their Minds

373 points · 348 comments · ibobev

  1. daedrdev · · focus · HN ↗
    AI does not use much water. If you believe it does, like this article does, you have fallen for propaganda and lies, ironic in a post calling everyone using AI stupid.

    The main cause of water fear mongering is that one woman’s well was dirty during construction of a data center. First construction is not the center running, and having lived on a well they get dirty for all kinds of reasons.

    1. gorjusborg · · focus · HN ↗
      And what are you basing that understanding on?

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eesi.org&#x2F;articles&#x2F;view&#x2F;data-centers-and-water-consumption" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.eesi.org&#x2F;articles&#x2F;view&#x2F;data-centers-and-water-co...

      According to EESI (a bipartisan-founded non-profit), a large data center:

      &gt; can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people.

      Also noting that AI datacenters can use more.

      1. HedonicEscal8r · · focus · HN ↗
        Is that supposed be a lot? That article states that all US data centers combined consume 450 million gallons a day, equivalent to 90 towns, which does not sound like very much.
        1. gorjusborg · · focus · HN ↗
          I&#x27;m not the one here making assertions, I&#x27;m asking questions of the person making claims. I&#x27;ll leave it to others to judge what is &#x27;a lot&#x27; or &#x27;reasonable&#x27;.

          I don&#x27;t think &#x27;anyone who thinks X is Y&#x27; is a good basis for discussion, which is the real point.

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