Fears about the amount of water being used by AI data centres may be unfounded, after a new study found that people aged between 14-29 actually consume more.
The study found that while a data centre can use millions of litres of water a day to cool its servers, this figure is dwarfed by the volume apparently required to keep a 23-year-old marketing coordinator “fully hydrated”.
Researchers made the discovery after following a Melbourne woman carrying what appeared to be a scuba tank with a handle. “Initially we assumed it was emergency equipment,” lead researcher Dr Sarah Collins said. “But then she took a sip from it while standing in line for 45 seconds at Mecca. Then again after walking six metres”.
The water bottles, which hold between two and 200 litres, are typically transported in one hand at all times regardless of destination, weather conditions or the availability of taps.
The findings come amid growing concern over the environmental impact of artificial intelligence, with critics warning that every ChatGPT query contributes to rising water consumption. However, experts now believe asking ChatGPT to write your resignation letter has a considerably smaller environmental footprint than one Pilates class.
“If you’re genuinely worried about water usage,” one spokesperson said, “our modelling suggests the fastest solution would simply be convincing one 24-year-old that they are probably not going to become dehydrated during a 17-minute Uber ride”.
