Human-operated chatbot highlights data center water use in Chile

About 50 volunteers in Quilicura ran a 12-hour human-operated chatbot that organizers say handled more than 20,000 requests, aiming to spotlight the water footprint tied to AI data centers in the Santiago region.

About 50 people in Quilicura, on the edge of Santiago, spent a Saturday operating a human-run chatbot called Quili.AI. Volunteers rotated through laptops to answer questions and create simple drawings during a 12-hour event. Organizers reported the site received more than 20,000 requests from around the world. The project was presented as a way to highlight the water use tied to AI data centers in the region. Key details: - Around 50 volunteers worked in a community center in Quilicura and took turns responding to requests. - The 12-hour project handled more than 20,000 requests, according to organizers. - Responses were not instantaneous; one example cited a penciled sloth drawing delivered roughly 10 minutes after a request. - Organizer Lorena Antiman of Corporación NGEN said the initiative aims to draw attention to the hidden water footprint behind AI prompting. - The article notes that Amazon, Google and Microsoft are among companies that have built or planned data centers in the Santiago region, and that Google has described its Quilicura data center as energy efficient while other projects have faced legal challenges over water use. Summary: The event contrasted human-paced replies with instant AI outputs to prompt reflection on environmental costs in a drought-affected area. Organizers said requests were still coming in after the event and emphasized local cultural knowledge in responses. Undetermined at this time.