The Labour party has recently revealed plans to make the first ever AI-zone in South-East England. Due to it being built next to a reservoir, there’s been growing concern about water shortage. In this blog, we’ll go over why this isn’t as concerning as you might think.
The Truth on AI Centres
For those out of the loop, AI Growth Zones are data centres, as running AI takes some serious computer firepower. Naturally, so many computers running in one centre will overheat very quickly without water cooling systems, hence why they are usually built near reservoirs/rivers. However, the common misconception is that these AI centres “eat” this water and drain it from the source.
This isn’t 100% true, though, as the majority of Data Centres use a feedback loop, which means “the water used is typically recycled” back into the system after cooling. Source: Newo.AI. Therefore, while water is certainly being consumed as an initial investment to create the feedback loop, it isn’t actively draining water from their sources like many people thought.
On the other hand, it’s important to play fair and consider the impacts AI centres do have, both good and bad:
+ Creates High-Skilled job opportunities to the local area.
+ Significantly upgrades AI capacity in the UK, allowing future breakthroughs and innovations
– Water is still being used from natural sources, even if it’s less than perceived.
– AI Data Centres require massive amounts of power, which is typically obtained through fossil fuel extraction.
The Takeaway
In topics such as this, it’s vital to remain impartial and weigh up both the pros and cons before making your verdict. This is particularly important when so much information online can be misinformed/biased. What are your thoughts?
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