ChatGPT Is Under Attack For Its Use Of Water — But How Does That Even Work?

AI tools have been blamed for straining water supplies that could help put out wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

As wildfires continue to blaze in the greater Los Angeles area, residents and visitors alike may wonder whether there are any steps they can take, however minor, to help prevent further destruction. Along with volunteering and donating money or goods, social media has presented Angelenos with a very simple action that they can take to conserve water: stop using ChatGPT.

But what exactly do ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools have to do with the water supply? Let us explain.

AI servers require large quantities of water to avoid overheating.

AI platforms can’t generate content without the help of massive data center servers. These centers “contain thousands of high-performance computer chips that process user queries,” explained Daniel Kearney, the chief technology officer of Firmus Technologies, which focuses on creating sustainable operating solutions for AI companies.

“Because the computers and chipsets that power servers are so densely packed, they generate an incredible amount of heat. Running complex AI applications like ChatGPT requires immense amounts of computing power, which generate lots of heat 24 hours a day,” explained HP Newquist, an artificial intelligence historian and the author of “The Brain Makers: Genius, Ego, and Greed in the Quest for Machines That Think.”