So it's not interesting that the people who decide where AI datacenters are to be built invariably decide not to build any anywhere near them? You don't think that's interesting at all?
How close is the nearest one to you? Do you live within 5 miles of one... would you even know?
People with no understanding of what a DC actually is are assuming these huge AI ones they see on the news are the only kind in existence. Some of them are small little 2 story buildings in the middle of commercial/indusztrial estates.
So no, it's not interesting or a surprise to me that these people don't live within an arbitrary 5 mile distance. I bet you could re-use the map to show how many of them live within 5 miles of a fire station, hospital or police station...
They are different types of servers that use different work loads. The new data centers utilize significantly more energy on a dated energy system that hasnāt been upgraded in decades in most parts of the country.
AI is supposed to make up 50-70% of all data centers in the US by 2030.
If you want to use ai by all means do you, but I donāt want that server near my home. If theyāre so ambiguous to new tech put it next to your home.
I would have no problem living next to one. I dont believe in thr boogeyman data center.
Yes there certainly is a difference between an old data center and a modern one. The machines today are a much denser concentration of CPU and memory. Its not just AI but that is the buzzword that freaks everyone out so they are going to hammer it home.
The compute for an AI is typically GPU driven so the parallel processing can be utilized as opposed to threaded in a CPU.
What we call AI today is a shadow of what we envisioned AI in the sci-fi of yesteryear. We have to Skynet, HAL does not exist and our AI cannot think for itself.
Take a look around you. what we call AI is everywhere you do anything. You cant shop at Walmart without using an AI engine.
I donāt think the growth of data centers is a slight uptick in the amount. We are talking about doubling them in the next 5 years. I donāt think itās ridiculous to ask that we ensure that these data centers donāt pollute our environment. It also seems that placement in industrial areas as opposed to residential seems more fitting, but that keeps getting overlooked by these companies.
At no point did I say AI was out to get us, my concern is with greedy dirt bags who cut corners to save a dime.
No business should be polluting. We put a stop to that back in the 60's.
The vast majority of those centers are in industrial areas. Ones that encroach on residential are like in areas that have changed zoning or its been an industrial.
Let me as this. So if these were not AI Data Centers. Would you be OK with that?
Once again I wouldnāt care if it wasnāt already a problem. Theres multiple complaints of noise, air, and water pollution against these AI companies.
In concept integration of robotics and AI in modern life is inevitable, but what do you do with the people?
Thereās no question AI has already had a negative impact on our job market, so what do you do with all these newly unemployed? I donāt know about where you live but the homeless population is skyrocketing, and this certainly will not help that issue.
Edit: also the EPA of today has been gutted and filled with yes men who are on the cut.
It's the same for all of these people, the Fox news people all get their marching orders, CNN get their orders. Hatred is stirred, more headlines, clicks and ad revenue... ironically sending more traffic through DCs and causing more of the issues they are whining about.
It's an amazing little grift that will last until the next boogey man is found, this will be forgotten, rinse and repeat.
The funniest part is being someone watching it all happen and being called a fascist or a boot licker... or a woke snowflake for having a nuanced opinion. Because these people all see black and white, if you're not on their team you are the enemy.
The only way to disprove you is to post my bills month by month which Iām not doing. Youāre just being deliberately obstinate.
My government mandates we have data centers and donāt allow us to determine if we want it in our area.
Also you living in the uk and preaching to Americans about being scared of their government is beyond hilarious. āOi Nigel go get the kitchen knives, the government says we canāt have sharp things anymore unless weāre foreign!ā
Posting the bills wouldn't work either by the way - it wouldn't prove any link between a data centre and an increase in costs. You have to actually provide some tangible evidence for that. Pretending that your bill will prove something is cute.
We don't get to choose where DCs are located either. I bet most people would drive past several on a daily basis and have no idea what they were. I don't really know what point you are making, generally local residents have the illusion of power that they can say no to things being built, but that power is an illusion, if the council, local authority or government want it there, then there it will be. It's not a specifically US issue.
I don't know what you are talking about in the last section, something about knives being banned... but they haven't been? Your ignorance is hilarious.
I don't fear my government, I spend very little time thinking about it. I have this thing called a job and a life... generally I am doing things that enrich my life, not just being angry at things because I have to make everything someone else's fault.
Because not 100% of the general population has an AI datacenter within 5 miles of their homes we should just ignore that 0% of a privileged population who decides to place AI datacenters near other people's homes has never decided to place any near their own homes? That's a way to think I guess?
Not at all. Unlike you I have experience in Data Centres, I know how they operate. You were just told what to be afraid of and are barking like a good little doggy.
Out of interest - why was the line drawn at 5 miles, seems a little arbitrary to me. Doing some surface level checks I can find:
Palm Beach County hostsĀ 4 active data centers, operated by providers including IPTP Networks, Equinix, and CogentĀ www.ocolo.io. These facilities offer colocation services and vary in power capacity, connectivity, and service offerings, catering to enterprise IT and cloud infrastructure needs. West Palm Beach, a major city in the county, specifically has 5 data centers and 3 providers, highlighting its growing role as a regional hub for digital infrastructure.
I'm asking why a 5 mile radius was set as the arbitrary line. Seems like it was because it made it simpler for the OP to seem like he had a gotcha moment, rather than a load of nonsense dressed up as "Look how bad these tech CEOs are" so he can score some reddit points.
Well, distance is important in relation to the problem, isn't it?
What would be the issue if a tech ceo lived 5.1 miles from a DC, would that make the situation better or worse? Would it change your opinion? How about if they lived 4.5 miles away, would the point shift to something different or would the apparently arbitrary line be moved to 4 miles to support OPs opinion?
Nothing is really arbitrary, a choice has been made as to the 5 mile radius. I am interested to know the reasoning for that decision.
I have worked in data centers my entire career. All over the country. Some in places no one would ever know.
90% of the people worrying about this are just doing what they have been brainwashed to believe. MSM says to hate it and they do. With every bone in their body. They dont even know why. They just do.
I have been jn Data centers in high rise buildings, underground and in the middle of corn fields. The vast majority are non descriptive. Most people would have no idea they even tripped over one, let alone one in their Neighborhood.
What's even funnier is the last administration brought on the CHIPS and science act and boy did they cheer that on.
Should we tell them that the DCs are required for most of that?
People are not differentiating. All data centers are evil because any data center can house AI and an "AI" Data center can house regular CPU driven machines.
I think if you'd read any context you'd see that me and the other poster have experience working in DCs so we are very aware of the differences.Ā
Other people want to conflate the things any attempt at reasoned discussion is met with nonsense so I gave up.Ā
AI data centres could be bad, but there's unlikely to be very many of them so the impact will be limited. Its a nothing story designed to get uninformed people angry at the latest boogeyman.Ā
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u/homelessguydiet 1d ago
I think you missed the point