It is common knowledge that AI is becoming more and more prevalent in everyday life. While the average person may not pay much mind to how AI functions, the processes that allow AI to exist can be shocking to many. 

At the fundamental level, AI requires large amounts of water and land to support the data centers the AI operates from. These data centers exist all around the United States. Since Florida is a large state with abundant bodies of water, over 100 AI data centers are located in Florida. 

Due to the potential economic prosperity for AI tech-companies, developers aspire to build more and more of these data centers, each building larger than the next. The location of the largest collection of data centers is planned to be in Palm Beach County, Florida. Developers tilted this aspiration Project Tango. 

Project Tango is a AI data center construction project located near the town Wellington in Palm Beach County, with plans for building to spread across 200 acres of land. This project was originally composed and approved in 2016, however developers wanted to expand by more than 60 acres in 2025. Residents of Palm Beach County were well aware of the stress that would be put on their local water sources if the project were approved. Resident’s cost of living would significantly increase to meet the demands of living near the data center. Higher electricity rates, and even upgrades in power grids to accommodate for the proximity. Data centers also produce constant, low-frequency hums which create noise pollution in the area. 

Residents of Palm Beach County turned to comissioners who hold the power to approve the project. Comissioners listened to the residents, and postponed Project Tango until April 2026 for further research on environmental consequences of AI. A short win for citizens of Palm Beach County, but the fight is not over until Project Tango is terminated completely.

While AI may be a useful tool in some cases, it is important to consider the substantial increases in resource depletion, pollution and water consumption regarding Project Tango specifically. 

AI consumes huge amounts of energy, all of which takes place in these data centers. Water is required to cool down the data centers where energy consumption occurs, both directy and indirectly. Water is often sourced from local rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water near the data centers, consuming millions of gallons of water everyday. However, data centers are strategically built near bodies of water for easy access to cool off the computers. These locations are also frequently drought-prone areas. As a result, fragile ecosystems are disrupted. Deforestation often occurs to construct the large buildings, disrupting nature and consuming tons of water from local sources. 

Residents of other sections of Florida have opinions about the project as well. Junior IB student at Seminole High School (SHS) Hasini Prabhakar believes that “AI databases allow us to connect ideas and understand what is happening on the other side of the world. AI can help us create new ideas to conserve our environment, and at the same time, it can also serve as a threat because of equipment.” IB English teacher at SHS Kelly Meahl shares “not many people are aware of the environmental impact of AI. Data centers use massive amounts of electricity, and if more people were aware of the impacts, there would be less frivolous use.” Meahl also shares she is surprised by the plans of Project Tango, and believes that the “lack of regulation is leading us to a very dangerous place very quickly.”