Do you know ChatGPT? It's an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. It can answer questions, tell stories, and write articles. But it's very "thirsty", said a new study from Harvard University.

ChatGPT has "homes" around the world in data centers (数据中心). When it works, the computers at the data centers get very hot. Workers then have to use water to cool them down. Cold water goes into pipes near the computers. The water needs to be very clean. They can't use seawater because it can eat away at the pipes.

When you ask ChatGPT 50 questions, it "drinks" 500 milliliters (ml) of water. Scientists used 700,000 liters of water to build ChatGPT. The water use is very big. People can make 370 cars with it.

ChatGPT is just one of the AI tools around the world. You need data centers to do everything on the Internet. There are more than 8,000 data centers around the world. The number is still growing.

AI uses a lot of water to "grow". The world's water may not be enough. Many people don't have enough water to drink. But AI technology helps people. Should we rethink how we use AI?