Predicting Future Trends in the Integration of AI and Water Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly playing a central role in water management, both as a tool for optimizing the use and distribution of water resources and as a technological system whose own development may impact water demand. This chapter adopts a qualitative methodology to explore a critical policy question: What are the likely future trends in the relationship between AI and water management, and how can policy frameworks maximize the benefits while minimizing adverse consequences? Access to potable water remains one of the most essential conditions for life on Earth, including agriculture, industry, and domestic consumption. The central hypothesis of this study is that AI offers significant potential to enhance the sustainable management of potable water. Through real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and adaptive control systems, AI can improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support long-term resilience in water systems. However, several critical issues must be addressed for this potential to be fully realized. These include the economic costs of implementing AI technologies, the design of equitable taxation mechanisms, and the capacity of low- and middle-income countries to adopt and maintain AI-based systems. Furthermore, public policy must engage with broader questions of governance, data ethics, and institutional readiness to ensure that AI becomes a tool for inclusive and sustainable water management, rather than a source of new inequalities or vulnerabilities.