Coming in December: The Thirst of the Machine in INGRAPHICS Magazine 2027
One AI prompt uses about 5 drops of water. The Thirst of the Machine, a 2-page spread for the international infographics magazine edited by Jan Schwochow, follows those drops all the way to the world’s data centers.
One AI prompt uses about 5 drops of water. Multiply that by billions of prompts a day, and the drops become rivers.
That's the story behind The Thirst of the Machine, my 2-page spread for INGRAPHICS Magazine 2027. INGRAPHICS is an international print magazine for infographics and visual storytelling, published in Berlin by Jan Schwochow.
Each issue brings together infographic designers, data journalists, illustrators and visual storytellers from around the world. Contributions are either created specifically for the magazine or selected from previously published work.
The first issue featured some of the best-known names in infographic design and visual journalism, and the second continues in the same spirit. It's a privilege to be in that company.
The spread follows AI's water footprint step by step: from a single prompt, to one person's daily use, to training one model, to the world's data centers. Every figure comes from published research and company reports, with the sources listed.
The magazine comes out in December 2026. Until then, the spread stays under wraps. I'll share it here once it's published.
Data storytelling.
Infographics.
Design.
Copyright: © 2026 BORIS BENKO