AI Water Usage is a Red Herring - Electricity Consumption is the Real Environmental Issue

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July 9, 2025
From AI with Kyle News and Updates Live Stream. First aired: 8th July 2025 Watch full lives stream: https://youtu.be/ZmLkcsm09co?si=2f2VjVyGwfb-0DGi Get the full notes and summary: https://promptentrepreneur.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe and turn on notifications to catch the next live stream: https://www.youtube.com/@iamkylebalmer?sub_confirmation=1 Concerns about AI's water consumption are largely misplaced since most modern data centers use closed-loop cooling systems that recycle water rather than consuming it destructively. The real environmental issue is electricity usage, with global IT currently consuming 1.5% of world power and AI potentially doubling that to 3% in coming years. While this represents a significant increase in a short timeframe, it's still relatively small compared to other electricity uses, and the focus should be on ensuring AI access remains democratized rather than concentrated in the hands of authoritarian governments or bad actors.