Kevin O'Leary pushes back on AI data center water fears: 'Like a golf course'
Kevin O'Leary, the 'Shark Tank' investor and developer of massive AI data centers in Utah and Canada, pushed back against concerns about water consumption during a radio appearance. He argued that modern data centers use far less water than commonly believed, comparing their usage to that of a golf course. O'Leary cited advances in closed-loop cooling systems, echoing similar defenses by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who dismissed water usage claims as 'totally fake.' A previous Business Insider investigation found some large data centers were permitted to use more water daily than 49,000 Americans. O'Leary also advocated that data center developers should bring their own power and contribute excess to the grid. Separately, he faces a defamation lawsuit for accusing opponents of his Utah project of being backed by the Chinese Communist Party, a claim he later said lacked evidence.
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