Microsoft Pledged to Save Water. In the A.I. Era, It Expects Water Use to Soar.

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 10 min read 100% complete by Adam Satariano, Paul Mozur and Karen WeiseJanuary 27, 2026 at 05:29 PM

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AI Summary

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Driven by the rise of artificial intelligence, Microsoft anticipates a significant increase in water consumption at its data centers, despite previous pledges to conserve water. Internal projections from last year estimated a tripling of water use by 2030, reaching 28 billion liters annually across roughly 100 data center complexes worldwide. Following inquiries, Microsoft revised its forecast to 18 billion liters in 2030, a 150% increase from 2020, citing new water-saving techniques. This updated projection excludes over $50 billion in recent data center deals. The company's water usage is expected to be particularly high in water-stressed regions, such as near Jakarta, Indonesia, although specific location estimates have been revised.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Java Sea 40% The New York Times ×250% Brad Smith ×260% Jakarta ×270% Indonesia ×270% Microsoft ×9100%

Keywords

water use 100% data centers 90% artificial intelligence 80% water shortages 70% microsoft 70% water conservation 60% environmental impact 50% jakarta 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Jakarta

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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water use data centers artificial intelligence water shortages microsoft water conservation environmental impact jakarta

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