Support Comprehensive AI Regulations Including Water and Energy Use Standards

I am writing to urge you to support comprehensive federal regulations governing artificial intelligence development and deployment. The rapid expansion of AI technology has outpaced regulatory oversight, creating serious risks to public health, environmental sustainability, and individual privacy that demand immediate legislative action. AI's resource consumption poses urgent public health threats that are already materializing in communities across the country. A single AI-powered Google search uses up to 30 times more energy than a standard search, and the Graphics Processing Units powering this technology generate enormous heat requiring massive water cooling systems. Data centres now consume hundreds of thousands of gallons of fresh water daily, with projections showing global AI water usage will increase from 1.1 billion cubic metres to 6.6 billion cubic metres by 2027. This is particularly alarming given that only 0.5 percent of the planet's water is fresh water. The consequences are already visible in American communities. In Newton County, Georgia, residents near Meta's AI data centre report discoloured, sediment-filled tap water. Fayette County residents have experienced similar problems coinciding with data centre construction. These facilities disproportionately impact Black and African American communities, raising serious environmental justice concerns. Microsoft reported that 41 percent of its water withdrawals in 2023 came from water-stressed areas, while Google acknowledged 15 percent of its consumption occurred in high water scarcity regions. Water scarcity directly threatens public health. The World Health Organization confirms that inadequate water supplies facilitate cholera, diarrhoeal illnesses, and other pathogens, with children under five bearing 84 percent of the global diarrhoeal disease burden. When communities lack sufficient water for handwashing and sanitation, disease transmission increases and healthcare systems face additional strain. I urge you to support legislation requiring transparent corporate reporting on water and energy consumption by AI operations, enforceable standards for sustainable resource management, comprehensive data privacy protections, restrictions on government AI use, and regulations governing data scraping practices. These regulations must prioritize human wellbeing and community health over unchecked technological expansion. The time for action is now, before more communities suffer irreversible harm.