Backlash over data centers tests Europe's AI ambitions

Like coal-fired power plants and wind turbines, few people actually want a data center in their backyard. But they do want to use their services. As a global debate rages about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, there are also many local discussions about where exactly the data centers needed to train and run AI should be built.

This is currently a major issue in Europe, where many governments and companies have decided that they would prefer to store data in Europe rather than in the United States, which is the global leader in computing. But more digital sovereignty in Europe will mean more consumption of the continent's resources.

According to the German Ministry for Economic Affairs, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, an average of between 0.4 and 4.4 liters (0.8 and 9.3 pints) of water is used to cool data centers , with the water either evaporating or being diverted back to tanks in a warmed state.

本文の著作権はDeutsche Welleにあります。