KANSAS CITY, Mo. — About 27% of Americans say they use artificial intelligence (AI) on a regular basis, but that number could actually be higher.
If you've clicked on a recommended Amazon product or asked to speak with a representative while on hold, you've used AI.
As this technology becomes the new normal, Missouri's director of economic research said companies powering the robots need more data centers and infrastructure to continue to innovate.
"I kind of see these data centers almost as a utility," Jeff Pinkerton said.
The AI explosion is one of the driving factors behind the demand for data centers. It's something that Missouri economic leaders like Pinkerton plan to take advantage of.
"If you were to ask, how to do AI proof my career, it would be to be someone who is knowledgeable about a lot of things and be someone who is in the decision making process," Pinkerton said. "We want to make sure that [Missouri and Kansas City] are positioned to be a decision maker in the future."
AI demands lots of energy, including more than the average computer system. A report from the U.S. Department of Energy predicts data centers will use between 6.7% and 12% of the total energy consumption in the United States by 2028.
Artificial intelligence researcher Shaolei Ren explained that increase is mainly due to AI demands.
"If you have more energy, you have more heat, then you're going to need more water consumption," Ren said.
Ren is a lead reseacher on AI impacts and an associate professor at the University of California-Riverside. His research shows some tech companies could use 20 billion liters of water each year to keep their servers cool.
"Essentially, they're taking away a larger chunk of capacity for the water infrastructure and that could be really bad for nearby residents if the infrastructure capacity is not adequate," Ren said.
KSHB 41 News asked the KCMO Water Department how the metro's infrastructure will support the massive data centers in the Northland. They did not make anyone available for our questions, instead sending a statement.
"KC Water works thoroughly with all large-use customers to make sure we can meet their water needs," Jackson Overstreet, public information officer, for the KCMO Water Department, said.
Ren said technology company numbers show they evaporate 80% of the water they withdraw from the municipal water systems.
"That's something we need to keep an eye on, but not something we need to panic about."
Google will have the largest data center campus in Kansas City once construction is complete. According to their website, the tech giant is focused on innovating energy-efficient water consumption practices at its data center campuses.
As we've seen in the last few months, AI is here to stay. Economic leaders see it as a way to make Kansas City a tech giant.
"We need to have these facilities," Pinkerton said. "I think there are advantages to having them relatively nearby from an economic perspective."
In the ongoing Data, Dollars & Demand series, we've looked at what data centers are, how much energy they use and the tax incentives companies receive to locate in Missouri. Previous stories can be found here.
KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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