Rodrigo ZamithOct 2, 2023
DAIR

"Microsoft increased worldwide water consumption by a whopping 34 percent — up to almost 1.7 billion gallons annually — last year, which outside researchers told the AP is most likely due to increased AI training. That's dwarfed by Google, which used 5.6 billion gallons last year, a 20 percent jump that's also likely attributable to machine learning." Via Tech Won't Save Us.

https://futurism.com/critics-microsoft-water-train-ai-drought

Critics Furious Microsoft Is Training AI by Sucking Up Water During Drought

Some people in Iowa are mad that Microsoft used a ton of water to train AI while Iowa has been in a drought caused by climate change.

Futurism
Oct 2, 2023 at 12:27amWeb
Show threadSiderAUOct 2, 2023
@DAIR @kcarruthers did you see this? Related to your toot looking for ai and environment cross over
Show threadDave Lane  🇳🇿Oct 2, 2023
@DAIR as if there could be less to admire about Microsoft. Somehow they always find new ways to suck.
Show threadvirkonOct 2, 2023
@DAIR
Interesting. I wasn't aware, that those data centers need so much water. Looks like they are going to have a similar problem as those nuclear power-plants in, say, France. No water cooling, no nuclear power.
Show threadcatraxx Oct 2, 2023
@virkon42 @DAIR The difference being that the nuclear power plants actually produce power, while Datacenters consume incredible amounts of it.
Show threadvirkonOct 3, 2023
@catraxx @DAIR Yes indeed. While competing for the same resource for the very same reason.
Show threadScott 🏴😷Oct 2, 2023
@DAIR I know this is like wildly contradictory to business-as-usual but couldn't they just shut the servers down if it gets too hot out?
Show threadjust adrienneOct 2, 2023
@scott @DAIR Shutting down server clusters like that is very seldom something folks do because getting them restarted is a huge white-knuckling ordeal. Which isn't an excuse for this bullshit, but tbh we should just pull the fucking plug permanently.
Show threadErik JonkerOct 2, 2023
@DAIR i would like to see a comparison with other industries (steel, chemical etc) to be able to evaluate whether that's problematic or the most problematic.
Show threadScott MatterOct 6, 2023

@ErikJonker @DAIR

Would be great to include in that comparison each industry’s contribution to human well-being (not just its financial / economic contribution)

Show threadErik JonkerOct 6, 2023
@scottmatter @DAIR True!
Show threadFinal Round Player 😷🇪🇺🍸Oct 2, 2023

@DAIR Water and electricity consumption by datacentres are still growing exponentially and faster than expected.

It won't stop till there's a Matrioshka brain, of Dyson spheres, of computronium, around the Sun.

Show threadKiermasz Dla Palestyny @bioOct 2, 2023
@DAIR so it seems that humanity is already fighting with AI for resources vital for our existence!
Show threadBenOct 2, 2023
@DAIR another lesson on the concept that the thinking that caused the problem is very unlikely to be capable of solving the problem. Duh
Show threadRichard W. Woodley ELBOWS UP 🇨🇦🌹🚴‍♂️📷 🗺️Oct 2, 2023
@DAIR
What a waste to try and get a computer to pretend to do poorly what people already do well.
Show threadAngelaOct 2, 2023
@DAIR @trish 🤯🤯
Show threadSouprMattOct 3, 2023
@DAIR Google went from “Don’t be evil” to “Watch us burn Earth to a crisp!”