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Tom Shaw, a software developer and content creator, examines three common ideas about data centers’ consumption of water and energy and their employment opportunities, drawing on examples from Meta facilities. The figures presented remain descriptions of the company’s experiences, not a general judgment about all data center operators.
A marketing joke about using urine to cool artificial intelligence data centers has opened a discussion about using recycled water. Experts point out that the viable solution is treating wastewater, not pumping urine directly, but expanding this approach requires substantial infrastructure and investment.