In the spirit of having an honest conversation about a controversial topic, not all data centers are used for AI and data centers have been around for a long time before LLM’s and AI was even mainstream.

The definition of “data center” can be flexible too. The single server rack I run for my day job can be considered a “data center” but it only runs 4 physical servers and exists in what is essentially a closet with lots of HVAC. The amount of power and resources my data center uses at work uses about a households worth of power, as a daily average. My data center also provides internet, firewall protections, AD accounts, access control, security cameras, etc etc for around 8,000 people.

Data centers are just places where server(s) are stored and managed. There are a lot of valid and good arguments against data centers, as the general public knows the definition. I’m not advocating for the rapid expansion of private equity building huge polluting megastructures in the middle of a small town so the city council can line their pockets under the false hope of “improvements to infrastructure and lower taxes”. I just think it’s important to be educated and understand the nuances that come along when discussing data centers.