How Data Centers Impact Local Communities Amid AI Growth

Artificial Intelligence Comes From Data Centers

Artificial intelligence seems to be taking over the world, and I'm starting to wonder if people realize that means data centers will have to be built to meet the demand. Every day on social media, I see people complaining about data centers and how they will fight to keep them from being built. Within minutes, I'll see the same person post their AI-created glamour shot. Are we oblivious to the hypocrisy of this, or has society just stopped caring altogether? AI is taking over the world, even though we've been warned about the damage it can cause. In fact, the fear of what AI could create is so strong that the Pope recently stated that the survival of humanity depends on the end of AI. We've all seen Terminator, right?

What Is A Data Center, Anyway?

Take a minute to think about how many cell phones and computers are out there in the universe. Think about the amount of data being exchanged every minute in the world, and remember it all has to start and end somewhere, not to mention that everything being saved has to be stored somewhere. The thought should terrify you, as I know you and I both probably have well over a thousand stupid pictures on our devices that could've been deleted years ago. All of that "cloud data" is being processed through data centers, the massive facilities serving as the home base of server infrastructure, cooling systems, and network infrastructures. There are over 11,000 data centers located in 170 countries right now, but almost 50% of those are located in the USA, Texas, and northern Virginia, being the largest producers. If that's not enough to scare you, the size of these facilities will. The average size of the current centers is about 100,000 square feet. Due to the demand and need for these facilities, more modern builds include data centers the size of multiple football fields, exceeding 10 million square feet in some prospects.

How Data Centers Will Change Communities Forever

All of this sounds scary, but it's still not enough to deter you from that magical image you created that shows you in Martha Stewart's kitchen making the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Let's see if the long-term effects of data centers are enough to change your mind. Complaining about that CenterPoint bill lately? Well, hold on tight, because a data center in the tri-state will absolutely require more energy, the same amount as 100,000 households, to be more precise. Across the country, we are seeing power outages and power grid failures due to these data centers, as the electricity has to come from somewhere. Keep in mind, it's coming from the same place powering your home, which means either more must be created, or you're going to have to give some up. I'm not the best at math, but everything here adds up to higher energy bills, last time I checked. With all of that power and energy being consumed in one location, cooling requirements are a must. But what does that entail? A typical data center requires two million liters of water a day to operate. That's approximately the same amount of daily water usage in 6,500 households. Again, that water has to come from somewhere, and unfortunately, the Ohio River isn't an option, as data centers use the same municipal water supply as we do. Therefore, plan on seeing hikes on those bills as well.

Think Twice Before Posting That Glamour Shot

Proposals are being presented across the country for data centers, and the tri-state is no exception to this. Unfortunately, a small number of people will make money from this, and the majority of us will be left to figure out the world it leaves behind. As hard as it may be not to make a trendy, cute picture, I highly encourage everyone to think twice next time you think people want to see it. Warrick County has a very important hearing coming up regarding the development of a data center there. With an issue as big as this is becoming, it's imperative to act early, as there will not be an option to speak up later. For more information on the hearing and prospective build, check out this article. If you are complaining about data centers, stop posting glamour shots!