Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos is facing criticism after his comments defending the resources needed to power AI infrastructure made waves online. The debate comes as tech companies pour billions into data centres, many of which rely on significant amounts of water to keep servers cool.
While tech firms focus on future innovation, communities living near these facilities are increasingly worried about water supplies today.
Recent figures released by Amazon via Amazon News show the company's global data centres used roughly 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025. Amazon argues that this amount is relatively small compared with water consumed by sectors such as landscaping and agriculture. However, opponents say national comparisons miss the real issue of what happens when large facilities draw water from specific local communities.
A Growing Clash Over AI's Water Demand
As demand for AI services explodes, tech companies are building larger facilities packed with processors that generate enormous amounts of heat. Keeping those machines cool often requires significant water resources, particularly in regions that rely on evaporative cooling systems.
Amazon has pushed back against fears that data centres are draining water supplies on a national scale. The company says its facilities rely heavily on air cooling and use water-based cooling only during hotter periods. It also argues that its operations are more water-efficient than many competitors and that it is working toward becoming water positive by 2030.
'We use far less water per unit of compute than others in the global data center industry, which as a whole accounts for less than 0.5% of all industrial water use globally,' the tech giant said. 'And we're continuing to get even more efficient year over year. These efficiency gains are the result of years of investment in custom cooling technology, smarter systems, and a commitment to minimize water use wherever possible.'
Critics argue that nationwide water-use figures do not always reflect conditions in the communities hosting data centres. Analysts cited by Ars Technica note that although data centres represent a small portion of total water consumption, large facilities can still place noticeable demands on local water systems, particularly in regions experiencing drought or water stress.
Communities Worry About Local Consequences
The root of the dispute lies in the difference between global statistics and local realities. Analysts note that while data centres may only represent a small share of total water consumption, their impact can be concentrated in specific towns and counties. In some locations, residents have become increasingly concerned about whether new facilities could compete with households and businesses for limited supplies.
Speaking at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Bezos pushed back against concerns that AI is consuming too many resources. Instead of focusing on AI's water use, he argued that human consumption is the larger issue.
He suggested that concerns about AI data centres should be viewed in the context of the much greater amount of water used by households, agriculture, and other human activities. His comments came as scrutiny intensified over the billions of gallons of water required to cool data centres supporting the AI boom.
The remarks immediately added fuel to an already heated debate. Critics have argued that comparisons between overall human water consumption and data-centre demand miss the point. Their concern is not that AI uses more water than people, but that large facilities can concentrate demand in specific regions where water supplies are already under pressure.
