The garden city of Bengaluru has over the years transformed into a tableau of mismanaged resources. In 2024, the city experienced both heavy floods and a dire water crisis.

Every day, Bengaluru extracts 800 million litres of water from borewells. The city’s built-up areas have soared by 1055% while water bodies have shrunk by 79%. Groundwater levels have declined to 18.7 metres in 2023 from 13.4 metres in 2013, with a recent study by the Indian Institute of Science forecasting a further drop to approximately 25 metres.

In the midst of this water crisis, artificial intelligence has become a buzzword in the IT city. AI promises to reconfigure the world, but it comes with an insatiable thirst for water, which stems largely from the enormous cooling needs of data centres and the intensive computations required for AI training.

With millions joining the digital dialogue, the cumulative demand for water rises like an unchecked tide.

AI models gulp water not as a mere byproduct, but as an essential coolant to tame the immense heat generated during computation. Consider training a model like ChatGPT-3 with its 175 billion parameters: in one burst of digital alchemy, it required over 700,000 litres of freshwater to dissipate heat and maintain server integrity.

Even after training, these models continue to sip water with every user query. Each set of 10 to 50 questions draws about two litres to cool the systems and support relentless processing.

In 2022, Google’s data centres consumed over 21 billion litres of potable water – a notable 20% increase from the previous year. Microsoft observed a similar surge. By 2027, AI is predicted to consume water globally at a rate equivalent to half of the total annual withdrawal of the United Kingdom.

Yet, AI also holds the key to conserving water. Take Singapore’s AI-driven Smart Water Grid project, which has claimed to achieve up to 5% savings by detecting leaks and streamlining water distribution. With global water loss from leaks and inefficiencies nearing 30% of the total supply, AI’s capability to transform waste into resources offers a refreshing perspective.

Beyond leak detection, AI could revolutionise resource planning. Its ability to forecast water demand with remarkable precision could guide utilities to allocate resources more judiciously.

In water treatment plants, AI manages the balance of chemical dosing, aeration and flow rates in real time. The agricultural realm accounts for 70% percent of global freshwater usage and in developing nations like India, farm water usage could reach up to 90%. AI’s insights into crop cycles and irrigation schedules could boost yields while reducing water usage by over 20%.

A tool often critiqued for its voracious appetite may well be the best hope in turning the tide of water mismanagement. As technology evolves, AI is expected to learn not only to think but also to sip rather than guzzle.

AI presents a provocative challenge: will it drain resources or serve as the guardian of the future?

Kush Mohan Mittal is a policy analyst at OMI Foundation.