China’s thirsty data centres, AI industry could use more water than size of South Korea’s population by 2030, report warns

Hong Kong think tank says annual water use by Chinese data facilities – almost half of which are in dry regions – could more than double by 2030. It takes 20 times more water to have a ChatGPT conversation than to run a Google search, according to the non-profit group’s report. — SCMP

China’s thirsty data centres and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically increase demand on the country’s water resources, according to a new report by think tank China Water Risk.

The Hong Kong-based non-profit estimated the annual water consumption of data centres in China to be around 1.3 billion cubic metres (343 billion gallons) – enough for residential use for 26 million people. By 2030, the figure could reach over 3 billion cubic metres as more data facilities are expected to open, equivalent to the demand of a population greater than that of South Korea.