In this episode of King Street Conversations, we explored the concept of “water bankruptcy,” a state in which humans are consuming water so quickly that the planet cannot replenish.  In particular, we discussed how the rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is exacerbating the global water bankruptcy due to massive AI data centers consuming billions of gallons of freshwater, threatening the earth’s supply, according to eesi.org.  We spoke with Mr. Karl Haeseler, Director of Educational Technology and Upper School Computer Science Teacher, to discuss how the rapid growth of AI is transforming education while also contributing to environmental distress.  For example, Google reported using more than five billion gallons of water across all its data centers in 2023, with 31 percent of its freshwater withdrawals coming from watersheds already with medium to high water shortage, according to lincolninst.edu.  We further examined the hidden costs of the massive data centers that power these platforms and the ethical responsibility schools like Sacred Heart Greenwich have in using AI technology thoughtfully.  Additionally, we interviewed Isabella (Izzy) Nedder ’27, who shared how students and faculty can be more mindful and aware when using AI technologies during a water crisis period.

Featured Image by Liv Hegarty ’27