09ResourcesAbout 4 minutes
What does a data center actually need?
Six claims take you inside the physical system behind AI. Choose what you think is true, then reveal the evidence and the boundary each claim misses.
01Gridelectricity in
→02Serverscomputation
→03Heatmust be removed
→04Coolingenergy and sometimes water
The path is a simplified facility diagram. Water may also be consumed upstream in electricity generation; actual cooling systems differ.
1 Claim 1 of 6
Your evidence map
You explored six boundaries.
Sources and method
- IEA, Energy and AI: Energy demand from AI, April 2025. Global model, equipment mix, accelerated servers and projected demand. The figures describe all data centers, not just AI.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report, December 2024. Its 2023 direct and indirect water estimates are modeled and refer to different boundaries. The indirect model uses regional grid mix and excludes facility power purchase agreements and on-site generation.
- IEA, Key Questions on Energy and AI, April 2026. Efficiency, use growth and connection pipelines.
- IEA, Electricity 2026: Grids, 2026. Grid development and connection timing.
Method. Each claim has one best answer under its stated boundary. A correct choice means that the reader selected the best interpretation of these sources, not that a personal footprint has been measured. Choices remain in this browser. Only an anonymous completion event is sent.