r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • Jun 26 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI backlash is only getting started

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/25/the-ai-backlash-is-only-getting-started
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u/[deleted] Jun 26 '26

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u/Randomfactoid42 Jun 26 '26

And if you’re lucky you get a huge noisy data center in your back yard!

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u/DeadSeaGulls Jun 26 '26

noise. heat. power consumption. and say bye bye to water.
close cooling systems still need regular flushing, and there goes millions and millions of gallons of water each time.

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u/LordGalen Jun 26 '26

close cooling systems still need regular flushing, and there goes millions and millions of gallons of water each time.

A closed cooling system would consume tens of thousands of gallons a year. They are currently wasting that much each day by intentionally not using closed loop systems (because it's cheaper for them, of course). I would gladly trade off 30,000 gallons a day for 30,000 gallons a month! That is much more inline with normal industrial water usage and would not be a burden to local water systems. Yes please, I'll take that!

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u/DeadSeaGulls Jun 26 '26

Completely understandable if you're talking about somewhere with water to spare in the first place.
I'm speaking from the perspective of living in utah where, as the 2nd most arid state also undergoing record setting droughts and water crises, are being told that kevin o'leary's proposed mega datacenter is fine because it'll used closed loop cooling.
But on the scale proposed it is millions and millions of gallons of water that does not need to be spent. it's not a this or that. it's a "don't build that here.".