Hong Kong think tank says annual water use by Chinese data facilities – almost half of which are in dry regions – could more than double by 2030, while AI chatbots ‘drink staggering amounts of water’ to cool themselves down.
The 2D material – made from transition-metal tellurides – could be used in areas ranging from lithium batteries to solar panels. Scientists say their ‘fast and scalable’ production method could bring the nanosheets out of labs and into practical use.