Jeff Bezos has sparked controversy after suggesting that human water consumption could be slowing the progress of artificial intelligence.

Speaking at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, the Amazon founder argued that data centres need vast amounts of cooling resources to power increasingly advanced AI systems.

“Biological limits are real, but digital potential is infinite,” Bezos said, adding that restricting cooling resources for AI infrastructure could delay the development of technologies capable of solving major global challenges.

His comments have reignited concerns about the environmental cost of AI, particularly as data centres consume growing amounts of water and energy worldwide.

The debate comes as tech companies continue investing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure to support the next generation of intelligent systems.