Big Tech's thirst for water is sparking a global resistance

# Summary As AI companies like Google and OpenAI scale up data centers to power generative AI models, their massive water consumption is sparking global resistance, particularly in water-scarce regions. A single hyperscale data center can use 1-5 million gallons of water daily—equivalent to a city of 10,000-50,000 people—competing directly with communities for potable water supplies that are cheaper to access than treated alternatives. Chile has emerged as a focal point of this conflict, where residents organized against Google's $200 million data center project in Cerrillos, which would demand significant water resources in an already water-stressed area.