06/21/2026
When it comes to AI and proposed data centers, diligence and critical review are necessary, but perspective is also required.
People are worried about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its use of water. If you care about the Colorado River, if you have watched Lake Powell’s water level drop and Lake Mead shrink, and have felt the dread of living in a place that is running out of its most essential resource, then hearing that a new technology is guzzling water hits a nerve. It should. The instinct to protect what is disappearing is a good one. But it turns out that AI isn’t as dire a threat to our water as people may think.