I have always said both the cloud and AI are bad.

I do not use cloud storage persoanlly, so don't be pointing fingers here!

I don't (on purpose anyway) here, either. My guess is that they want the
extra storage that "the cloud" is using for AI and are therefore blaming
cloud users for what is really being caused by increased AI usage... energy
and water usage, etc.

Mike


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Technically speaking, in a closed loop cooling system, there should be minima
waterloss, except for the possibility of increased evaporation due to artifica
heating of your cooling ponds.

Increased energy usage for cloud and AI BAD!
Increased energy usage by forcing everyone to adopt Electric Vehicles GOOD.

Sounds to me like the old adage , "If you think the problem's bad now. Wait'l we solve it!"

I get what you are saying there, except governments and at least some folks
who are pushing electric vehicles are also pushing AI. I suspect that they want to blame "cloud" to free up more energy and IT resources for AI.

So it is "cloud (and general comsumer use) of energy BAD!"
"AI and electric vehicles GOOD!" :D

I don't see how something sitting on a storage device is using up near as
much energy as a CPU-intensive AI process.

With the way big tech is pushing AI I unfortunately expect to be living in
some bad sci-fi story before I shuffle off of this rock.

Mike


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I have always said both the cloud and AI are bad.

I do not use cloud storage persoanlly, so don't be pointing fingers here!

I don't (on purpose anyway) here, either. My guess is that they want the

>extra storage that "the cloud" is using for AI and are therefore blaming
>cloud users for what is really being caused by increased AI usage... energy
>and water usage, etc.

If I recall this was more about water usage than electricity use but
suggestied that less data stored on servers would reduce the amount
of water needed to cool them. I'd think a big part of the water part
of it would depend on if coolant is recycled or just dumped with new
water coming in to replace it, and where that water is coming from.
Pretty much anything could be used but I suppose if the servers are
in a city then it's a huge waste of clean, processed, drinking water.

I half wonder if people mining Bitcoin aren't a bigger problem
than cloud storage..

Personally, I do use a cloud account for files I need to transfer
between multiple units or files I temporarily park there for others
to download, but I doubt I have 5 meg of total data on there..

---
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Reminds me of the song, "In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)"

"In the year 5555
Your arms hangin' limp at your sides
Your legs got nothin' to do
Some machine's doin' that for you"

"Now it's been ten thousand years
Man has cried a billion tears"

"In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive."

LOL I know that one. ;) The TV show "Futurama" spoofed it several years
ago with "In the Year 252525" during an episode about time travel horribly
gone wrong. :D

Mike


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I don't (on purpose anyway) here, either. My guess is that they want the

>extra storage that "the cloud" is using for AI and are therefore blaming
>cloud users for what is really being caused by increased AI usage... energy
>and water usage, etc.

If I recall this was more about water usage than electricity use but suggestied that less data stored on servers would reduce the amount
of water needed to cool them. I'd think a big part of the water part
of it would depend on if coolant is recycled or just dumped with new
water coming in to replace it, and where that water is coming from.
Pretty much anything could be used but I suppose if the servers are
in a city then it's a huge waste of clean, processed, drinking water.

I half wonder if people mining Bitcoin aren't a bigger problem
than cloud storage..

IMHO, the folks mining Bitcoin... and running AI servers... would require a
lot more cooling (and therefor water) than cloud storage. Storing files shouldn't really have much of any abnormally high cooling requirements as it
is not a CPU/GPU intensive process.

Also IMHO, they are trying to make "regular people" think they are the
problem in order to free up resources for increased AI use.

Personally, I do use a cloud account for files I need to transfer
between multiple units or files I temporarily park there for others
to download, but I doubt I have 5 meg of total data on there..

I doubt that anything you've described is processor intensive, either. ;)

Mike


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Re: Re: Forget a hosepipe ban
By: Rob Mccart to MIKE POWELL on Tue Aug 19 2025 08:33 am

If I recall this was more about water usage than electricity use but suggestied that less data stored on servers would reduce the amount of water needed to cool them. I'd think a big part of the water part of it would depend on if coolant is recycled or just dumped with new water coming in to replace it, and where that water is coming from. Pretty much anything could be used but I suppose if the servers are in a city then it's a huge waste of clean, processed, drinking water.

The reports make it sound like the water isn't recycled and that the water is "used" by the data center, as if they're talking about continuous use. Whether that's accurate or not, I don't know. You'd think you could cool the water passively and recirculate it, but then you're adding more radiant heat into the environment.

If water is running through a closed system you wouldn't think there'd be an issue with treating it and releasing it back into the water supply, but I'm sure it's not worth the decrease in net shareholder value.
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