Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos is facing criticism after his comments defending the resources needed to power AI infrastructure made waves online.
According to IBT Times, 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.
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.
The tech giant said, “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. 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.”
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.
