"Using a data set of land surface temperatures produced by NASA, a research team found that from 2004 to 2024, the surrounding areas of more than 6,000 data centers worldwide saw an average increased land temperature of about 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit."
"Researchers calculated these heat islands could be felt about 6.2 miles away from facilities, impacting up to 343 million people globally."
"The energy required to operate these data centers is immense, with some modern data centers spanning hundreds or even thousands of acres, and the energy needed to power and cool the facilities can exceed a gigawatt."
AI data centers are causing a significant increase in local temperatures, creating a 'data heat island effect' that could affect up to 343 million people. Research indicates that from 2004 to 2024, areas surrounding over 6,000 data centers experienced an average temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius, with some areas seeing increases of up to 9 degrees Celsius. The energy demands of these facilities are immense, with spending on AI infrastructure projected to reach $760 billion by 2026, highlighting the environmental implications of AI development.
Read at Fortune
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