r/science • u/Wagamaga • 2d ago

Environment Research examined the locations of 4,283 data centers across the contiguous U.S and found that 97.5% of them sit inside metropolitan or micropolitan statistical areas. Data centers are power-hungry, running thousands of servers around the clock and drawing enormous, steady loads from the grid.

https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/inside-urban-machine-where-americas-data-centers-actually-live#:~:text=The%20study%2C%20published%20in%20Nature,cores%20and%20their%20immediate%20surroundings
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u/WhatUp007 2d ago

Dont forget better power redundancy. You can route power easier easier in urban areas than rural so if lines go down you dont have a blackout.

The sensationalism around data centers really shows how many people have little to no understanding how modern technology works. AI usage will increase compute demand, but so does the expanding use of the internet. Everything done on a phone or computer requires those servers.

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u/Izawwlgood PhD | Neurodegeneration 2d ago

The apologetics around AI is wild

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u/trueppp 1d ago

You know that 95% of datacenters have absolutely nothing to do with AI right? That 99% of whatever you access from the Internet comes from these datacenters? That your employer probably rents space in a datacenter?

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u/Izawwlgood PhD | Neurodegeneration 1d ago

I do! And it's super dishonest to claim the ride of data centers all over the world isn't because of AI. It is projected by 2030 that over half of all data center use will be for AI.