Sam Altman's claim that AI water consumption is a non-issue is facing a cultural pushback, as legacy brand Polaroid launches a provocative anti-AI marketing campaign targeting the environmental footprint of data centers. The 89-year-old camera company recently unveiled a billboard at Brooklyn's iconic Coney Island Beach that reads: "Go jump in some water before the data centers drink it all up," part of a broader campaign tied to its new Go Generation 3 camera.

Why Is Sam Altman Dismissing Water Concerns?

Earlier this year, OpenAI's CEO pushed back against what he called "totally insane" claims about AI's water consumption. Altman stated that water concerns are "totally fake," arguing that modern data centers no longer rely on evaporative cooling systems that historically consumed large volumes of water. He pointed to online claims suggesting that each ChatGPT query uses 17 gallons of water as examples of misinformation circulating on the internet.

"Water is totally fake. It used to be true, we used to do evaporative cooling in data centers, but now that we don't do that, you know, you see these like things on the internet where, 'Don't use ChatGPT, it's 17 gallons of water for each query' or whatever," said Sam Altman.

Sam Altman, CEO at OpenAI

However, Altman's dismissal doesn't align with documented environmental concerns. A previous Business Insider investigation found that some of the largest data center facilities in the United States were permitted to use more water each day than nearly 49,000 Americans would typically consume. Data centers require vast amounts of water both directly for cooling servers and indirectly through the electricity needed to power them.

What Is the Real Environmental Impact of AI Data Centers?

The debate over AI infrastructure's water footprint has become increasingly visible in mainstream culture. Polaroid's campaign explicitly challenges the narrative that modern cooling technologies have solved the problem. The company's creative director, Patricia Varella, explained the brand's position in a statement.

"While our campaigns are provocative and challenge our relationship with technology, we're not anti-digital. We know we have to live alongside it, but we're deeply pro-human, and know what humanity gives us. And we know what we stand to lose if we don't protect it. That's a fight worth fighting," stated Patricia Varella.

Patricia Varella, Creative Director at Polaroid

Polaroid is part of a growing trend of brands leaning into anti-AI marketing. The company's Instagram post accompanying the billboard campaign urged people to "go take a swim" and "embrace the beautiful, simple, wild, analog stuff," framing the message as a cultural choice rather than purely an environmental one.

Tech leaders have pushed back on water criticism by highlighting advances in cooling technology. Nvidia announced a "liquid cooling" system this week designed to help data centers run hotter while using less water. Ali Heydari, Nvidia's director of data center cooling and infrastructure, claimed that the company has "eliminated massive amounts of power usage and pretty much all water usage" through these innovations.

How to Evaluate AI Company Environmental Claims

• Verify Cooling Technology: Ask whether data centers use closed-loop cooling systems or older evaporative methods; closed-loop systems recirculate water rather than consuming it, though they still require significant electricity.
• Check Permitted Water Usage: Research actual water permits filed with state environmental agencies; permitted usage often exceeds what companies publicly claim about their efficiency improvements.
• Compare to Baseline Consumption: Evaluate water usage relative to the number of users served and queries processed; efficiency gains per query don't necessarily mean lower total consumption if usage scales rapidly.
• Assess Supply Chain Impact: Consider indirect water consumption through electricity generation; many data centers rely on power grids that depend on water-intensive cooling at power plants.

The tension between Altman's dismissal and Polaroid's campaign reflects a broader credibility gap in the AI industry. While tech executives argue that engineering solutions have addressed historical water concerns, environmental advocates and cultural commentators are questioning whether efficiency improvements keep pace with the explosive growth in AI infrastructure demand.

OpenAI's position is particularly notable given the company's massive capital-raising efforts. In June 2026, OpenAI announced it had submitted a confidential S-1 prospectus to the Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential initial public offering, with analysts expecting the company to raise up to $100 billion toward the end of the year. As OpenAI prepares to go public, environmental and sustainability narratives may become increasingly important to investors and regulators scrutinizing the company's long-term viability and operational footprint.

Polaroid's campaign suggests that the cultural conversation around AI's environmental cost is shifting, regardless of technical improvements. By positioning analog photography as an alternative to AI-powered digital services, the brand is tapping into a growing consumer interest in sustainability and human-centered technology, even if the scientific debate about water usage remains contested.