We often think artificial intelligence lives in the cloud, but the reality is much more grounded---and it can be shocking.
Get the facts about data centers:
- 🏢 Giant halls in your backyard. Imagine massive data center complexes the size of hypermarkets or logistics hubs, situated right next to ordinary family homes.
- ⚡ Energy hunger of a 300,000-person city. A single investment can consume as much electricity as the entire city of Bydgoszcz. In Poland, this means burning massive amounts of coal (52%) and gas (14%) to provide that power. Additional risks: rising electricity prices and restrictions on power access.
- ❄️ The "Great Cooling" during heatwaves. When temperatures rise above 25°C, servers must be cooled with sprayed water. In an era of climate crisis, this creates real competition for water resources with local residents and farmers.
- 🛌 150 meters from your bedroom. Though it sounds unbelievable, in the Polish context, these giants are being planned in the immediate vicinity of single-family homes.
- ⛽ A "fuel bomb" outside your window. Documentation for some projects reveals plans to store up to 3.6 million liters of diesel for backup power generators.
- 🕵️ Operation "Secrecy". Big Techs often build through intermediaries to hide their identity and avoid social protests. They also use "artificial investment division" to bypass strict environmental standards.
Don't just be a passive technology user! Find out why 230 organizations in the USA are demanding a halt to new constructions and what Polish associations, like SAS, are fighting for.
Read the full material and check if your municipality is planning "digital hell" right outside your window!