Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs on the implications of the use of Artificial Intelligence on the water supply.

My department has discussed the implications of Artificial Intelligence with DEFRA, and representatives from UK water companies, on multiple occasions. We also engage the AI data centre industry to understand how water is used and explore potential alternatives or ways to minimise any potential impact on supplies and output of wastewater. Data centres, and the compute they provide, will also play a major role in powering the high-tech solutions to environmental challenges.