20250523 - AI power and water use is through the roof, and 80%–90% is per query

Number go up! Text version: https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/23/ai-power-and-water-use-is-through-the-roof-and-80-90-is-each-query/ Please send money! It's very helpful! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/davidgerard Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/A1529D5 Buy me nice things: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3Q8VZW46J6DM6 Get an extremely cool Pivot to AI shirt: https://pivot-to-ai.redbubble.com Sources: AI Is Draining Water From Areas That Need It Most https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-impacts-data-centers-water-data/ We did the math on AI's energy footprint. Here's the story you haven't heard https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/ The growing energy footprint of artificial intelligence (2023) https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(23)00365-3 AI power demand rapidly escalating https://digiconomist.net/ai-power-demand-rapidly-escalating/ Artificial intelligence: Supply chain constraints and energy implications https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435125001424 Previously on Pivot to AI: Bitcoin's stupendous power waste is green, apparently — bad excuses for Proof-of-Work (2018) https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2018/05/22/bitcoins-stupendous-power-waste-is-green-apparently-bad-excuses-for-proof-of-work/ OpenAI signs $40 billion deal with SoftBank! or maybe $30 billion, probably https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/04/02/openai-signs-its-40-billion-deal-with-softbank-or-maybe-30-billion-probably/ video: https://youtu.be/8aP1zUUcmjk Full Pivot to AI playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA