A growing "Not-In-My-Backyard" (NIMBY) movement is gaining momentum in the United States and beyond, as local communities increasingly push back against the construction of massive data centers required to power AI systems. These data centers, which can be massive, multistoried warehouses filled with servers, are necessary to support the skyrocketing demand for AI applications.
Residents in various neighborhoods have expressed concerns about the impact of these data centers on their quality of life, citing issues such as constant noise from cooling systems, water usage, pollution, and potential environmental damage. In Chesapeake, Virginia, for instance, residents implored local leaders to deny a proposal for a data center, with one resident, Lee D'Amore, putting up "No Data Center" signs around his neighborhood.
Residents worry about the potential for constant noise pollution from the data centers' cooling systems, which can disrupt their daily lives. Environmental concerns include water usage and pollution, with some data centers requiring significant amounts of water for cooling. Community activists argue that the benefits of data centers, such as job creation and tax revenue, do not outweigh the potential costs to their quality of life.
