Artificial intelligence has a real heat problem. Cooling next-generation computer chips for AI requires either millions of gallons of water or huge amounts of electricity. Both have ignited sharp opposition from the public. The industry’s heat trade-off threatens to deepen its unpopularity in communities where concern is growing about the financial and environmental toll of data centers. If a company chooses to save water when cooling a facility, its power needs surge. If it reduces electricity, its water use climbs. … Politico spoke with four of the biggest technology companies about how they choose to use either water or energy to cool their facilities — knowing that either one will tax resources and drive public backlash.

Other data center water use news:

• Arizona Capitol Times (Phoenix): Data centers, water and vouchers: Democrats’ unfinished work, in Sundareshan’s words
• Cowboy State Daily (Cheyenne, Wyo.): Hageman demands answers from Zuckerberg about Cheyenne data center contamination
• Forbes: Meta AI data center linked to rare bacteria in city’s water system
• KSL (Salt Lake City): Some data center companies are working to be ‘good neighbors,’ but is it enough?
• Utah News Dispatch: Opinion: Data center fights pit social values, democracy and capitalism against each other
• KTAR (Phoenix): Video: Are data centers draining Arizona’s water?