By Jibin Joseph
Publication Date: 2026-06-04 16:42:00
According to a recent study, AI data centers could consume as much water annually as 1.3 billion people in Africa by 2030. Tech CEOs, however, continue to brush off such narratives. First, it was OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and now it’s Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.
At the company’s Build conference this week, Nadella said Microsoft is taking a new approach to generate more power with less conversion loss at its new data centers. As part of that plan, it restructured how its cooling system and water consumption work.
“The cooling loop is filled once, and the data center can operate effectively with zero water consumption,” Nadella said. “The daily water usage over the course of an entire year is roughly equivalent to what a single restaurant would use.”
Microsoft Build 2026…
