Artificial intelligence has reshaped the relationship that many people have with technology, and especially how we work and communicate. Despite this, there are plenty of challenges that the technology faces—especially if it wants to remain sustainable. Today, we want to look at the fuel that keeps these platforms running—the data center—and why it’s important to consider them in the context of the AI conversation.

What Does an AI Data Center Look Like?

AI data centers are incredibly resource-intensive, which means that there’s a lot going on behind the scenes:

• Massive training: With AI models, you need training, and training requires immense amounts of data. This training also requires serious amounts of consistent and low-latency computing power, which is made possible by interconnected devices and specialized processors.
• Low-latency interference: Once the model is trained, it gets pushed out to the public. AI queries are called interference, and they require a network that can deliver almost instantaneous speed. This is what makes a data center ideal for these platforms.
• Scalability and resilience: AI is only going to grow more popular, which means data centers need to be structured in a way that allows for scalability and resilience. Services that utilize AI need to be reliable and available, hence the need for enough resources. Furthermore, data centers will need cooling and security systems to keep hardware and data safe.

As you can see, there is nothing simple about the AI boom or the data centers that power it.

But Is AI Worth the Costs of Data Center Expansion?

While data centers are incredibly impressive warehouses of technology, they create significant problems for the future, from the environment to your local community. Here are the benefits versus the detriments of AI data centers.

The Benefits

These benefits extend to the communities and regions where these data centers are found:

• Economic benefits: Data center construction also creates jobs and opportunities for the states and municipalities that play host to them. They might even get incentives to make their adoption more appealing.
• Job creation: With advanced technology comes a need for more advanced knowledge and expertise. This in turn creates permanent, highly skilled jobs in the realm of operations, maintenance, and security… and that’s not even mentioning the temporary jobs associated with construction and engineering.
• Infrastructure improvements: Since these facilities use so much power, they encourage the development of areas where it might not have existed before. We’re talking about changes to power grids, roads, and fiber-optic networks, all of which create more opportunity for business.
• Global innovation: Finally, AI creates more innovation as more businesses strive to use it in new and effective ways. Data centers are what make these breakthroughs possible.

The Detriments

For everything great, there are, of course, the negatives to consider:

• Energy consumption: You’ve probably heard about AI being a massive energy sink. The data centers that power these systems can often exceed the amount used to power a small city, and the strain placed on power grids is considerable. When you add in the fossil fuels that get burned up in the process, you have a sustainability nightmare.
• Water use: Again, another controversial topic is how much water these systems consume, particularly in drought-prone areas. It puts a strain on local water supplies and even opens up a conversation about water rights. You might not think that computing power and water actually go together, but as it turns out, it takes a lot of water to keep a data center cool, as large racks of constantly running servers produce a lot of heat.
• Local community impact: These data centers are large, and the land they sit upon cannot be used for much else. This means significant portions of land cannot be used for agriculture, residences, and industry. Noise pollution from the cooling systems is also a bit of a problem, and backup generators rely on diesel, which means no one wants to live near these things anyway.
• Resource centralization and e-waste: Since AI is being used like this, you have data centers that are owned by large technology companies, which in turn creates barriers for smaller businesses. Coupled with e-waste as a byproduct of the rapidly progressing technology industry, it's no small wonder why many are concerned that AI is taking opportunities and rights away from people, all to fulfill the wishes of the richest companies on the planet.

What are your thoughts on AI and the data centers it requires? In any case, First Column IT can help you be more effective and efficient with its technology, whether or not it includes AI. Learn more by calling us at (571) 470-5594.

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