Inside the data center boom that's consuming Chile's last water

Chile’s data center boom, centered in Quilicura near Santiago, is worsening a long-running drought and water shortage.

Demand for AI and cloud infrastructure has intensified scrutiny of facilities that consume large amounts of water.

Critics say company offsets have not solved the damage, and weak regulation leaves communities and ecosystems competing with industry.

Chile’s privatized water system, rooted in Pinochet-era policies, has helped turn a tech investment wave into a local environmental crisis.