The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers on Global Water Resources and Management

Due to global demand for advanced technology that requires high-performance computational infrastructure, there has been rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) usage. Among this infrastructure are AI datacenters, which consume a large amount of electricity and water. As AI models grow more resource-intensive, the need for water power generation, chip manufacturing, and cooling has risen as critical costs that are overlooked. The paper adopts a critical review of existing literature with a conceptual framework for smart water management in the context of AI-intensive urban infrastructure. The study evaluates how rapid AI development intersects with proposed strategies and freshwater scarcity for reducing water footprints through policy action and technological innovation. The findings highlight an urgent need for transparent water-use reporting, region-specific regulation and sustainable cooling solutions to mitigate the escalating pressure of AI infrastructure on global water resources