OpenAI announced that it will cover the cost of energy infrastructure needed for its data centers and work to reduce water consumption used for cooling. The company said it will pay for its own energy to avoid raising local electricity prices and will partner with communities to minimize impact, potentially by securing independent energy supplies or funding grid upgrades. OpenAI also highlighted plans to innovate cooling systems and AI design to lower water use. The pledge follows a similar commitment from Microsoft amid growing community concerns about AI data‑center projects. Leer más →

Microsoft announced that it will ask utilities and public commissions to set electricity rates high enough to cover the full power costs of its AI data centers. The company also pledged a 40 percent improvement in water‑use intensity by 2030, highlighted a new closed‑loop cooling design that eliminates the need for potable water, and affirmed it will pay its full share of local property taxes. These commitments are aimed at addressing rising residential electricity rates and the environmental impact of AI workloads. Leer más →

Microsoft announced a five‑point "Community‑First AI Infrastructure" plan aimed at easing local concerns about its new AI data centers. The initiative includes higher payments to offset electricity costs, reduced water usage, job training and creation, and greater contributions to local tax bases. Company officials said the move responds to rising electricity rates, community backlash, and pressure from lawmakers seeking transparency on utility impacts. Microsoft also pledged not to accept electricity subsidies and to work with utilities and regulators to set rates that cover the power demands of its facilities. Leer más →

The rapid expansion of AI‑focused data centers is straining local power grids, water supplies, and air quality. High‑density GPU farms consume far more electricity than traditional facilities, prompting utilities to rewire substations and sometimes rely on diesel generators when grid capacity is insufficient. While companies like Google are sourcing a majority of electricity from renewables and experimenting with on‑site wind and solar, many deployments still depend on fossil‑fuel backup. Experts argue that stronger regulations, smarter grid planning, and efficient cooling technologies are essential to balance AI growth with environmental responsibility. Leer más →

A recent analysis shows that artificial intelligence consumes a modest portion of worldwide electricity, water and CO₂ emissions compared with other technologies. While AI prompts represent a tiny fraction of individual energy use, the rapid growth of data‑center demand means AI will claim a larger slice of the overall mix, especially as it drives new infrastructure. The article compares AI’s resource use to Wi‑Fi, streaming video, enterprise cloud services and emerging electric‑vehicle charging, highlighting both the relative insignificance and the potential for concentrated local impacts. Leer más →

The surge in AI workloads is driving rapid expansion of data centers that rely heavily on GPUs, which consume far more power and generate far more heat than traditional CPUs. This growth is straining electricity supplies and dramatically increasing water use for cooling. Industry leaders are exploring liquid‑cooling, micro‑fluidic chips, free‑cooling, and geothermal options, while experts call for greater transparency, smarter hardware design, and more efficient model use to curb the environmental impact. Leer más →

Google has released official figures for the median energy consumption of a Gemini text prompt, estimating it at 0.24 Wh per prompt. The report compares this figure to common household activities, showing that a single AI prompt uses far less power than streaming video, charging a smartphone, or running a TV. While the per‑prompt impact is small—accounting for a fraction of a user's daily electricity use—the article notes that billions of prompts could add up at scale. Water usage and carbon emissions are also quantified, highlighting the broader environmental considerations of AI workloads. Leer más →

Google reports that the energy required for a typical Gemini Apps text prompt has fallen dramatically, now using about 0.24 watt‑hours, emitting 0.03 g CO₂e and consuming 0.26 ml of water—roughly the energy of nine seconds of TV. The company attributes a 33‑times reduction in per‑prompt energy to software advances such as Mixture‑of‑Experts, compact model versions, and smarter data‑center management, while renewable power and a 1.4‑times drop in carbon intensity of electricity also help. The cumulative impact remains significant given the massive query volume, but the trend points toward a greener AI future. Leer más →