{"id":2590,"date":"2026-01-29T12:16:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=2590"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T09:36:57","password":"","slug":"is-ai-worth-the-water-and-energy-it-uses","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/docs\/is-ai-worth-the-water-and-energy-it-uses\/","title":{"rendered":"Is AI Worth the Water and Energy it Uses?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Suggested Length: 1 hour<\/p><p>Learning Objectives:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recognize<\/strong> that AI relies on physical data centers that consume significant water and energy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Describe<\/strong> key environmental impacts of AI data centers using information from current articles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare<\/strong> possible, probable, and desirable futures related to AI growth and resource use.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reflect<\/strong> on personal and societal choices about AI use in relation to sustainability.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-table align-top\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#e9f1fb\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Approaches to Learning<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Vocabulary<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Reflection Questions<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Thinking Skills<\/strong><br>Anticipatory thinking: Anticipate consequences of different choices about AI use.<br><br><strong>Research Skills<\/strong><br>Extract key data (who is affected, how much water\/energy is used, what solutions exist).<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Artificial Intelligence (AI)<br>Data center<br>Server<br>Bandwidth<br>Cooling<br>Sustainability<br>Resource use<br>Consumption<br>Water stress<br>Energy demand<br>Anticipatory thinking<br><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">How did anticipating different futures change the way you thought about the debate question?<br><br>If you had to choose, would you prioritize fast AI innovation or strict environmental protection? <br><br>What is one way you could use AI more sustainably in your own life, or one policy you would support to make AI more environmentally responsible?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><style>#sp-ea-2594 .spcollapsing { height: 0; overflow: hidden; transition-property: height;transition-duration: 300ms;}#sp-ea-2594.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #e2e2e2; }#sp-ea-2594.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a {color: #444;}#sp-ea-2594.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.sp-collapse>.ea-body {background: #fff; color: #444;}#sp-ea-2594.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {background: #eee;}#sp-ea-2594.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a .ea-expand-icon { float: left; color: #444;font-size: 16px;}<\/style><div id=\"sp_easy_accordion-1769675676\"><div id=\"sp-ea-2594\" class=\"sp-ea-one sp-easy-accordion\" data-ea-active=\"ea-click\" data-ea-mode=\"vertical\" data-preloader=\"\" data-scroll-active-item=\"\" data-offset-to-scroll=\"0\"><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-25940\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse25940\" aria-controls=\"collapse25940\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Resources and Preparation<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse25940\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-25940\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>You may wish to watch the video: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3Yh9OddmgS0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-rich-links='{\"fple-t\":\"How data centers work and why AI is driving their growth\",\"fple-u\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3Yh9OddmgS0\",\"fple-mt\":null,\"type\":\"first-party-link\"}'>How data centers work and why AI is driving their growth<\/span><\/a>&nbsp; and read these articles prior to the session:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dallasexpress.com\/national\/data-centers-growing-water-use-strains-communities-amid-rising-ai-demand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI's Thirst Trap: Data Centers Guzzle Water While Droughts Drain Communities<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainabilitymag.com\/news\/how-is-google-balancing-ai-demand-with-sustainability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data Centre Use Up, Emissions Down - What's Google's Secret? | Sustainability Magazine<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.wttw.com\/2025\/08\/20\/mega-data-centers-could-drain-water-supplies-great-lakes-region-if-protections-aren-t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mega Data Centers Could Drain Water Supplies in Great Lakes Region if Protections Aren&rsquo;t Put in Place: Report | Chicago News | WTTW<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/cloning-a-discussion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Clone<\/a> the following discussion and share it with students: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/db7c962a-2ba5-4ab1-8fcb-3971c2a92459\/627254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Is AI worth the water and energy it uses?<\/a><\/p><p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/small-group-mode\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Small Group Mode<\/a> to give groups access to their own version of the discussion, if appropriate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-25941\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse25941\" aria-controls=\"collapse25941\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Introduction<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse25941\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-25941\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>Using the presentation, show the image of the data center in the presentation, or a different image, and complete the &ldquo;See, Think, Wonder&rdquo; routine. Board students&rsquo; ideas.<\/p><p>Ask:<\/p><ul><li>What do you see in the image? What are its parts?<\/li><li>What do you think it is used for?<\/li><li>What does this make you wonder? What could its function be?<\/li><\/ul><p><b>Introduce anticipatory competency: <\/b>&nbsp;Explain that today&rsquo;s lesson will focus on<b> anticipatory thinking<\/b> in the context of AI and resource use<b>.<\/b> That means being able to imagine different futures (what <b>could<\/b> happen, what&rsquo;s <b>likely<\/b> to happen, and what we <b>want<\/b> to happen) and think about the consequences of our choices today for other people and future generations.<\/p><p><b>Watch video: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3Yh9OddmgS0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How data centers work and why AI is driving their growth.<\/a> <b><br><\/b>Ask the following questions related to the video:<\/p><ul><li>What are data centers?<\/li><li>What resources do they use?<\/li><li>How much energy do they need?<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-25942\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse25942\" aria-controls=\"collapse25942\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Main Activity<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse25942\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-25942\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p><strong>Part 1: Jigsaw Investigating Articles &amp; Imagining Futures<\/strong><\/p><p>Divide students into three expert groups. Explain that each expert group will read a news article and work together to consider a unique perspective to envision a possible future of AI.<\/p><ul><li>Business as usual: What will happen if nothing changes?<\/li><li>Green AI transition: What will happen if the AI industry innovates and transitions to use clean energy?<\/li><li>Resource crunch and backlash: What will happen to our resources, and how will society respond?<\/li><\/ul><p>Provide each group with their corresponding handout and news article. Provide article glossary if needed from the resource materials.<\/p><ul><li>Business as usual: <a href=\"https:\/\/dallasexpress.com\/national\/data-centers-growing-water-use-strains-communities-amid-rising-ai-demand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI's Thirst Trap: Data Centers Guzzle Water While Droughts Drain Communities<\/a><\/li><li>Green AI transition: <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainabilitymag.com\/news\/how-is-google-balancing-ai-demand-with-sustainability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Data Centre Use Up, Emissions Down - What's Google's Secret? | Sustainability Magazine<\/a><\/li><li>Resource crunch &amp; backlash: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.wttw.com\/2025\/08\/20\/mega-data-centers-could-drain-water-supplies-great-lakes-region-if-protections-aren-t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mega Data Centers Could Drain Water Supplies in Great Lakes Region if Protections Aren&rsquo;t Put in Place: Report | Chicago News | WTTW<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>Instruct students to read the article and complete the handout with quotes and paraphrasing from the article. Emphasize that these notes will be used for claims in activity two.<\/p><p>Call students back together and recap findings.<\/p><p><strong>Part 2: Kialo Discussion<\/strong><\/p><p>Redistribute students to create new groups in which all three potential futures are represented. Share <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/db7c962a-2ba5-4ab1-8fcb-3971c2a92459\/627254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">cloned discussion<\/a> with the groups. Enable <a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/small-group-mode\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Small Group Mode<\/a> to allow students to work on a discussion in their group.<\/p><p>Display the thesis: <b>We should significantly limit the growth of resource&#8209;intensive AI to protect water and energy resources.<\/b><\/p><p>Briefly show students the <b>Pro<\/b> and <b>Con<\/b> starter claims:<\/p><ul><li><b>PRO<\/b>: AI companies are using unsustainable amounts of resources.<\/li><li><b>PRO<\/b>: Rapid AI growth risks overwhelming community systems.<\/li><li><b>CON<\/b>: AI can accelerate sustainability solutions.<\/li><li><b>CON<\/b>: Design and policy can reduce harm without strong restrictions.<\/li><\/ul><p>Clarify expectations for the discussion. You may also set expectations by setting up <a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/about-tasks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Tasks<\/a> in advance.<br>Each student should:<\/p><ul><li>Add at least <b>four claims in total<\/b> (e.g., 2 pro and 2 con).<\/li><li>One claim must be in response to their own idea, supporting it with a sub-claim that cites evidence from one of the articles.<\/li><li>Reply to at least <b>two additional claims written by another student, either supporting or opposing, <\/b>and linking to evidence to support their claim.<\/li><\/ul><p>Circulate as students work in Kialo, encourage them to connect their claims to one of the three futures from Part 1.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-25943\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse25943\" aria-controls=\"collapse25943\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Reflection Activity<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse25943\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-25943\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>Ask students to respond to one of these questions as an exit ticket or discuss as a class:<\/p><ul><li>How did anticipating different futures change the way you thought about the debate question?<\/li><li>Which of the futures you explored do you think is most likely and why?<\/li><li>If you had to choose, would you prioritize <i>fast AI innovation<\/i> or <i>strict environmental protection<\/i>? What kind of compromise would you accept?<\/li><li>What is one way you could use AI more sustainably in your own life, or one policy you would support to make AI more environmentally responsible?<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div data-height=\"auto\">\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/db7c962a-2ba5-4ab1-8fcb-3971c2a92459\/627254\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" rel=\"nofollow\">Is AI worth the water and energy it uses?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/strong> &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">kialo-edu.com<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/assets\/static\/js\/embedded-kialo.min.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\t\t<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-embedpress-embedpress aligncenter\" data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\" data-embed-type=\"GoogleDocs\"><div class=\"gutenberg-block-wraper  \"><div class=\"position-right-wraper ep-embed-content-wraper   \" style=\"position:relative;display:inline-block\"><div class=\"ose-google-docs ose-uid-de613b43a7e17b1061751c276d7d5854 ose-embedpress-responsive\" style=\"width:600px; height:600px; max-height:600px; max-width:100%; display:inline-block;\" data-embed-type=\"GoogleDocs\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embed\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vR-jmpCGu8C8jR9vAkIoaVDnI06SQvPWIDahPzVQQEsmo-TPbb2tMBiinomj0Dx_Z39aSB-AKGi19mr\/embed?start=false&amp;loop=false&amp;delayms=3000\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" mozallowfullscreen=\"true\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"width:600px;height:600px;max-width:100%;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><style>\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-embedpress-responsive{\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        max-height: 600px!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] iframe{\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        max-height: 600px!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .embedpress-yt-subscribe iframe{\n                        height: 100%!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-youtube > iframe{\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                        max-width: 100%!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-youtube{\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-giphy img{\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-google-docs img{\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                    }\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .ose-embedpress-responsive.ose-google-photos{\n                        height: 100% !important;\n                        max-height: 100% !important;\n                    }\n\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .embera-embed-responsive-provider-gettyimages,\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .embera-embed-responsive-provider-gettyimages iframe,\n                    [data-source-id=\"source-eb327317-dc81-4b87-90cb-401681eefaa2\"] .getty{\n                        width: 600px!important;\n                        height: 600px!important;\n                        max-height: 600px!important;\n                        max-width: 100%!important;\n                    }\n                    <\/style><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Suggested Length: 1 hourLearning Objectives: Approaches to Learning Vocabulary Reflection Questions Thinking SkillsAnticipatory thinking: Anticipate consequences of different choices about AI use. Research SkillsExtract key data (who is affected, how much water\/energy is used, what solutions exist). Artificial Intelligence (AI)Data centerServerBandwidthCoolingSustainabilityResource useConsumptionWater stressEnergy demandAnticipatory thinking How did anticipating different futures change the way you thought [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_doc_category":0,"wds_primary_doc_tag":0,"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[43],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-2590","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-ai-crit-think"],"acf":[],"year_month":"2026-05","word_count":322,"total_views":"18","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"stephanie","author_nicename":"stephanie","author_url":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/author\/stephanie\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Critical Thinking and AI","term_url":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/docs-category\/ai-crit-think\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/2590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/2590\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=2590"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=2590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}