A digital agency in Australia has started offsetting the water used by its AI tools by planting trees in the Daintree rainforest. The article explains that AI data centers consume large amounts of fresh water for cooling, and estimates suggest Australia's data centers could need 250 megalitres per day by 2035. The agency partnered with HalfCut to plant 500 trees, with each mature tree expected to produce 100-200 litres of water per day through transpiration. The approach is based on research from James Cook University studying how reforested land increases rainfall. The agency acknowledges this is not a complete solution but sees it as a practical step while waiting for better transparency from major AI companies on their environmental reporting. The piece highlights a growing expectation that companies will need to address both carbon and water offsetting in their sustainability policies.
