… and what that means for individuals, newsrooms, and journalists
How much of a problem is AI’s water use?
AI’s water footprint is growing, but location and cooling technology make a difference.
Data center guzzled 30 million gallons of water and nobody noticed for months
Can AI save us from the AI industry’s endless thirst for water? Outlook not so good.
You’re Thinking About AI and Water All Wrong
Fears about AI data centers’ water use have exploded. Experts say the reality is far more complicated than people think.
Empire of AI - Water Footprint Changes — Karen Hao
I have issued two changes to my book regarding the water footprint of data centers:
Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land
Guardian analysis finds facilities to be built in some of the driest areas as outcry grows over water needed to power AI
When it comes to total water use, AI data centers are a drop in the bucket
Even moderately sized data centers can have an outsized local impact.
Artificial Intelligence in the News: How AI Retools, Rationalizes, and Reshapes Journalism and the Public Arena
<p>Download the pdf here. Executive Summary Despite growing interest, the effects of AI on the news industry and our information environment — the public arena — remain poorly understood. Insufficient attention has also been paid to the implications of the news industry’s dependence on technology companies for AI. Drawing on 134 interviews with news workers […]</p>
Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints
AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.
Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water, and Land Footprints
AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.
Water Use Isn’t a Data Center Problem, It’s an AI Problem
Critics of the AI build-out are picking the wrong fight when they attack data centers for their water use. But they are right when they say the digital economy is getting thirstier and the tech industry should answer for it.The whole AI supply chain is water intensive, and reducing use in one ...
AI Policy • States Newsroom
AI Policy States Newsroom is, above all, dedicated to journalism practiced by people. We believe in the power of having on-the-ground reporters covering our communities with the finesse and nuance that only human interaction can produce. We also recognize the power and potential of generative AI. We are open to the responsible and transparent use […]
The AI Roles Continuum: Blurring the Boundary Between Research and...
The rapid scaling of deep neural networks and large language models has collapsed the once-clear divide between "research" and "engineering" in AI organizations. Drawing on a qualitative synthesis...
John Horton on Twitter / X
I increasingly think we have to keep AI generated 'papers' out of venues meant for humans---not b/c the papers are bad per se---just that our currently-designed systems cannot accommodate and will break. But I also think what we need a venue for AI generated work (it's good &… pic.twitter.com/fXd92SYbN5— John Horton (@johnjhorton) September 29, 2026
Inside the AI Index: 12 Takeaways from the 2026 Report | Stanford HAI
The annual report reveals a field hitting breakthrough capabilities while raising urgent questions about environmental costs, transparency, and who benefits from the technology.
We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard.
The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small—until you add up what the industry isn’t tracking and consider where it’s heading next.
Meet the Tech Reporters Using AI to Help Write and Edit Their Stories
Independent writers are using AI agents all throughout their reporting process. What’s the value of a human journalist, anyway?
