Artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) alleged consumption of water and energy has become a major point of concern for policymakers. The issue was highlighted in President Trump’s recent State of the Union speech, where Trump announced he will forge deals with tech companies over energy consumption. While voluntary efforts to increase power generation are laudable, much of the underlying discussion is riddled with half-truths, incomplete information, and blatant falsehoods. Unsurprisingly, this misinformation extends all the way up to members of Congress, who can wield the most punitive regulatory hammer against AI. This threatens the most important innovative development of modern history. In the past weeks, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has resurfaced his idea of a “data center moratorium,” while Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) filed a bill that would force all data centers to go off-grid and produce their own energy.
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