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Critical Minerals Are The New Oil, With A Hidden Water Cost

AI's infrastructure runs on minerals from regions running dry. The water cost nobody's accounting for.

Reporting by Forbes Innovation 1 min brief
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The KeyNews take

Why it matters

As AI compute demands soar, critical mineral extraction for chips and infrastructure is straining water supplies in already-stressed regions, creating a sustainability and ethical liability that investors and founders must address in supply chain strategy.

The key facts

8 to know

  1. Critical minerals required for AI hardware, EVs, and clean energy sourced from water-stressed regions

  2. Hidden water extraction costs not currently priced into mineral supply chains

  3. Questions raised about fairness, sustainability, and cost allocation in mineral sourcing

  4. Supply chain risk for AI infrastructure builders dependent on these regions

  5. Critical minerals for AI, EVs, and clean energy sourced from water-stressed regions

  6. Supply chain sustainability and fairness concerns raised

  7. Intersection of AI infrastructure buildout and environmental/social impact

  8. Emerging ESG and regulatory risk for AI companies dependent on mineral supply chains

Go to the source

Forbes Innovationforbes.com

Publisher excerpt: AI, EVs and clean energy rely on minerals from water-stressed regions, raising urgent questions about fairness, sustainability and who pays the bill.
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