DATA CENTERS
This Hollywood protagonist is mapping AI moves
AI’s newest watchdog is... Erin Brockovich.
Yes, the same Erin Brockovich played by Julia Roberts in the Oscar-winning biopic. The film highlighted the activist’s origin story, as she took on PG&E over groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California.
But outside of the Hollywood plot lines, Brockovich has been advocating for community rights for over three decades.
Now she's bringing her expertise and tenacity to AI's fastest-growing footprint.
What she’s tracking:
Energy: Specifically when centers drive up costs or cause environmental damage.
Water: The main concern for most communities, as cooling systems often strain local water supplies.
Public Health: Noise, electronic waste, wildlife disruption, and air pollution can all have a major impact on nearby residents.
How 'bout this for a number?
4,200. That’s how many AI data centers her map is currently tracking. And as of last week, there have been 2,716 individual reports submitted across the country.
But those reports don’t necessarily mean a community is against these centers.
“The race to build AI infrastructures is unfolding town by town across America. In some places, data centers are welcomed. In others, they are delayed, contested or abandoned altogether,” Brockovich elaborates. “This map captures the real-world footprint of that race … revealing patterns of growth, conflict and uncertainty.”
In short, she’s collecting data on the data centers.
How this all shakes out will determine if there’s a sequel.
Lights, data, action! - TL