Google AI, water, and Latin America

Canelón Grande Reservoir supplies water to the city of Montevideo, Uruguay

When Progress Meets the Limits of Nature

In a world racing toward digital transformation, Latin America has become a key frontier for tech giants like Google. But a deeper truth is emerging: innovation without responsibility can quickly turn into exploitation.

In Uruguay, Google planned a massive data center near Montevideo, projected to use billions of liters of water annually at a time when the country was facing its worst drought in decades. The local water supply was under strain, and citizens were being told to ration water, even as one of the world’s richest companies prepared to tap directly into the aquifer.

Chile saw a similar scenario. A planned facility near Santiago faced backlash for its projected water use. Enough to supply tens of thousands of residents. Both cases triggered public outcry, legal challenges, and mounting pressure from environmental groups, communities, and even United Nations experts, who warned of a “de facto privatization of water” in favor of industrial use.

To its credit, Google responded. Faced with intense scrutiny, the company redesigned its data center cooling systems to use air instead of water. This shift marked not only a technical adjustment but a recognition that in Latin America, technology cannot come at the cost of human dignity and environmental survival.

The story carries a broader lesson. While digital infrastructure promises economic growth and innovation, especially with AI and cloud services, its success depends on trust, transparency, and sustainability. Latin America is not just a passive host for global tech; it’s an active participant demanding balance, fairness, and respect for its natural resources.

Google’s pivot is a sign that the future of AI in the region will need to be built not just with silicon and code, but with listening, accountability, and humility.

And yet, one question lingers:

The company obviously knew it would be using enormous quantities of water, so why hide it?

Instead of playing a "catch me if you can" game, why not just do the right thing from the start?

Do they really believe that getting away with it is enough?  Where is the ethics in that?  Where is the humanity?

In a region where every drop matters, the true test of innovation isn’t what you can build, but how responsibly you choose to build it.

Thanks for Reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas