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Data Center Building Boom Cycle???

Buffalo Bill

Buffalo Bill

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I only became aware of this as an issue last summer, as people started protesting the local construction of data centers.
More I look into it, the more threatening it sounds.
Energy consumption, environment degradation, even social impacts from their purpose.
Reminiscent of the industrial boom of the 20th century.
There are many many reports about it, I'll just post this one video.

 
Interesting story. I've been working in small to mid size data centers for 25 plus years. Even the old-school non AI ones I'm in have pretty intense infrastructure. Backups for backups, etc. Being that they use energy in such a large scale, they tend to try to be efficient for cost savings which they might window dress as environmentally conscious. . The water concerns are Interesting to me. The water cooled spots I've been in have closed loop systems. The videos shown did show a huge bank of cooling towers. They also recirculate water but some is lost to evaporative cooling- maybe a lot.

Overall the sites tend to be pretty clean and other then security and site protocol are pretty nice to work at.

The story is spot on about jobs. Once these places are in operation the in house crew is pretty small.

I often play a game called spot the data center. They typically look like a large warehouse, but have security fences and gates, only a handful of cars in the parking lot, and almost never have a business name on the building nor any signage other then an address. There's more around then one may realize.
 
OK, so you gotta look at a big non-descript looking building. The WMMM WMMM WMMM sounds from all those fans would drive me nuts! Then there's the power usage aspects of it.

Not long ago I saw a video about how we'll run out of the ability to store all the data being generated by sometime in the 2030's, our ability won't be there to build and power these places. As of right now, 70% of the data being generated is video, 20% is necessary for all business use and the other 10% being shared between government and science. Seems to me that we already have enough cute cat videos, why store more?
 
Brave New World.

Out in the 'sticks,' land is cheaper...water, electricity, yada yada yada. I think the noise would drive me crazy. One benefit of living in a city (NY), I don't have to live near one of those.

Plus they are massive investments that are not a sure thing. If they succeed, the rich collect the upside. If they fail, the poor and middle class will be burdened by the downside. :mad-new::mad-new::mad-new:
 
All I can think of is, most the data stored and function is just stupid videos of/by stupid peeps. :rolleyes: :stupid:​ :cool: :listening_headphone :dancing: :cool-new: :indecisiveness: :applause::semi-twins: :couple_inlove:
 
Buffalo Bill said:
All I can think of is, most the data stored and function is just stupid videos of/by stupid peeps. :rolleyes: :stupid:​ :cool: :listening_headphone :dancing: :cool-new: :indecisiveness: :applause::semi-twins: :couple_inlove:
Click to expand...

The TikTok/Insta morons are big consumers for sure, but AI is a growing concern on many fronts.
 
I've been going down the AI rabbit hole a bit on YouTube of these alarmists talking about how uncontrollable the consequences could be. It's rather frightening.

Even the company I work for (Commercial real estate/investment/property management) is jumping ALL IN on using AI. It's all the leadership talks about anymore. They have developed their own version of GPT. I'm a Director of Facilities at a hospital, and so far I can't really understand how it could help me do my day-to-day job, so I don't have any interest in using it.
 
Can I get Ai to change the muffler and rejet the carbs on my 1985 Kawasaki?
This bud is saying Ai can do all human labor.
How about plumbing repairs?
This is a panic for clerical workers, that we can see.
 
Buffalo Bill said:
Can I get Ai to change the muffler and rejet the carbs on my 1985 Kawasaki?
This bud is saying Ai can do all human labor.
How about plumbing repairs?
This is a panic for clerical workers, that we can see.
Click to expand...

I don't see why not. Just give them a few more years. ;)
Corporations are loving this...
 
Buffalo Bill as a Michigander I'm sure you'll find this article interesting.

Consumers Energy rate changes aim to shelter customers from AI data center costs - mlive.com https://www.mlive.com/news/2025/11/...lter-customers-from-ai-data-center-costs.html

Also, the sale of the Consumers Energy owned dams has me a bit worried, not in the way they'll be used but rather what happens to them when they're no longer economically viable. If Consumers Energy is willing to sell them for $1 they've already passed that threshold! My guess is we'll see another Sanford Lake Dam type incident only on a much larger scale.
 
There are plenty of sci-fi movies about Ai before they called it Ai.
One of my favorites:
 
I read where an AI generated email 'costs' a tablespoon of water
an AI generated image 'costs' two cups of water

these are like existing data-centers on steroids!

homo sapien translates to 'wise ape' but this is a mis-labelling

homo callidus (sp) would be way more accurate ... translating to 'clever ape' because wise, we are not

( building some these in Az ?? I dunno man)

Edit: maybe the AGI or ASI will be so 'smart' it'll come up with a solution (??)
 
Last edited:
ptegsotic said:
I read where an AI generated email 'costs' a tablespoon of water
an AI generated image 'costs' two cups of water

these are like existing data-centers on steroids!

homo sapien translates to 'wise ape' but this is a mis-labelling

homo callidus (sp) would be way more accurate ... translating to 'clever ape' because wise, we are not

( building some these in Az ?? I dunno man)

Edit: maybe the AGI or ASI will be so 'smart' it'll come up with a solution (??)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately we're plagued by the presence of a transitional species known as Homo Correctus or Always right man.
 
There's a lot of money (eyeballs on stories) to be made on the doom aspect of AI. How much worse can computers run things vs. humans, anyway? OK, I'm a cynical person. I feel like there is no stopping anything if there's a buck to be made.
 
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