- New data centers are proposed throughout the UK
- This is essential for AI development and use but has disastrous impacts on the environment
- Technical giants call for more expansion
The United Kingdom could be set to a greater increase in the number of data centers across the country, as new reports claim that an increase in the building is set to begin.
The country currently has 477 of these data centers – with about 100 more on the way, BBC Reports, spurred by the huge increase in demand for AI, and often funded by US tech giants.
However, the impact on the local environment may be devastating – in the United States, some that live close to data centers have lost access to clean drinking water as the local wells have been disturbed and some consumers have seen energy bills rise thanks to the extreme use of the centers.
Sky costs
Data centers are essentially warehousing full of computer storage systems and IT infrastructure – and they are both financially expensive and enormous energy and water -consuming.
It is said that a medium -sized data center is consumed between approx. 110 million gallons of water a year to cool – and large centers can consume up to 5 million gallons a day – but these data centers now receive advanced protection from the government after they have been appointed critical national infrastructure.
Like these new data centers are being built – the British government has published advice on how to address the ‘national significant’ water shortages and drought advice that includes taking shorter showers, not watering grass and erasing old e emails.
These data centers have received cash injections from US companies, with as much as £ 6.3 billion, poured into construction and funding from foreign companies, so the UK can ‘train and implement the next generation of AI technologies’ – most of which are developed in the United States.
‘Unlocking AI’ has been a priority for the British government that has encouraged businesses and consumers to use the technology to increase productivity – but the environmental costs will always fall on ordinary people.
