Why doomsday warnings are not the only threat to the AI juggernaut
Summary
Data centres, which run the powerful computer chips behind artificial intelligence (AI), use a lot of electricity and water, causing local concerns in the US and UK. This has led to political pushback, including calls to stop building new data centres due to their impact on communities and resources.Key Facts
- Data centres house thousands of chips that perform trillions of calculations per second for AI.
- These centres generate a lot of heat, requiring fans and cooling systems that consume energy.
- In the US, many people oppose new data centre construction due to worries about electric bills and water use.
- Polls show data centres are less popular locally than even nuclear power stations.
- In the UK, areas like Brick Lane have protests against data centres in favor of housing and local businesses.
- The UK has the third highest number of data centres worldwide, after the US and one other country.
- Politicians in the US face voter backlash over data centre impacts, affecting elections and policies.
- Some US states and cities are proposing bans or restrictions on new data centres to address local concerns.
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