r/Anticonsumption • u/Sad_Butterscotch7063 • 2d ago

Discussion Does anyone avoid using ChatGPT because of its water usage?

Hey, I recently came across something about how using ChatGPT, Blackbox AI and similar AI tools actually consumes a surprising amount of water (cooling data centers, I guess). Made me wonder, have people here stopped or reduced using it because of that?

Curious how others are thinking about it in terms of sustainability and personal impact.

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u/Grouchy-Artichoke462 2d ago

I live by two enormous data centers thank you for considering our river! Cuz they take it out of the river and then put it back—- supposedly

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u/iconocrastinaor 2d ago

If they're using it for cooling, then they can't put it back in the river hot-- assuming competent oversight. So they cool it, and some of it evaporates into the atmosphere and rejoins the hydrologic cycle there.

So the question is, are you located in an extractive water area or a recirculatory water area (watershed)?

I'm on a Great Lake, so any water I use goes back into the lake either by rain or effluent, the only question being whether the effluent is properly treated.

But if you're in a desert area and getting your water from the Colorado River, then any water you use is not being put back in the river and that's bad for the environment no matter what you're doing with it, including brushing your teeth and flushing your toilet.

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u/StationFull 2d ago

What else would they do with the water other than put it back? Sure it comes out warmer and that could have potential env issues, but it’s not like they’re making the water unfit for use. The run it through some copper pipes

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u/Grouchy-Artichoke462 2d ago edited 2d ago

I was mostly joking about “supposedly” but I see how it didn’t land, my bad. The locals do claim the river has been lower ever since they came to town and I think it’s a great point to discuss water usage for AI but yes, so far I don’t see any terrible effects in our town you are correct! I will remain curious on longterm effects of he water table and the salmon which is a big thing here.

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u/bigbadmon11 2d ago

If most data centers are set up like my town, all that water goes through our hundred year old crippling wastewater system. My city has received about 500 million in state and federal loans to update the system over about 5-10 years. Resident water bills went up 30% because of one data center opening. Which still isn’t enough money so they’re trying to pass a tiered payment system that charges heavy users more, which isn’t going over well because heavy users have more power.

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u/everythingbagel1 2d ago

They have coolers to cool down the water in the matter of minutes. My dad’s business uses one for some of their equipment. Not at all to the scale ai uses, it’s for manufacturing equipment.

Not that this solves problem of environment but sharing info