ENVENV-003 — Resource Allocation Imbalances
AI Data Centre Cooling Drives Local Water Shortages
3/5Sector: OtherGeography: GlobalStage: OperateIngested: —
Executive Summary
Excessive water consumption by AI data centres depletes local supplies, triggering restrictions for communities and businesses. Boards face regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage, and operational risk if water usage is not governed within environmental limits.
Domain
Environmental Factors
Blindspots in organisational culture, stakeholder expectations, resource allocation, market pressure, regulatory environment, and external partnerships.
Source
MIT AI Risk Repository — A Collaborative, Human-Centred Taxonomy of AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Harms (Abercrombie2024) ↗https://airisk.mit.edu/
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