"I think it's pretty likely the entire surface of the earth will be covered with solar panels and data centers." - Open AI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever
I'm surprised the future of technology is in the hands of a few people who have absolutely no clue what's happening outside their computers.
Building a large data center near a town can strain the power grid, drain local water supplies, generate constant noise, release excess heat, harm the environment, disrupt traffic during construction, raise security concerns, and offer very little long-term benefit to the local community.
So, yeah, the solution is to cover the earth with data centers, right?
adamiscool8•6mo ago
You could say that about building almost any infrastructure anywhere populated.
pyman•6mo ago
What are the risks of building a big data centre near a town, according to ChatGPT:
Power strain – Data centres use a massive amount of electricity. That can put pressure on the local grid, driving up energy prices or causing outages during peak times.
Water usage – Cooling those servers takes a lot of water. In some cases, millions of litres a day. If the town already struggles with water, it’s going to get worse.
Noise pollution – The fans and backup generators run 24/7. Might not seem loud from afar, but for nearby residents, it’s constant low-level noise.
Heat output – The servers produce heat, and depending on how it’s handled, that heat can raise local temperatures or affect nearby ecosystems.
Environmental impact – You’ve got land cleared, energy consumed, water drained. It all adds up. Some centres also rely on diesel for backup, which means emissions.
Traffic and construction disruption – Building and maintaining it means trucks, equipment, workers. That can lead to road congestion and wear-and-tear on local infrastructure.
Security concerns – Big data centres can become targets for cyber attacks or even physical threats. Local emergency services might not be equipped for that.
Little benefit to locals – Most jobs are in construction and setup. Once it’s up, it runs with very few staff. So the town deals with the impact, but sees little upside.
CaptainFever•6mo ago
The subject of the news article is financially motivated, though kudos to the article for being transparent about it:
> Major Peake was quick to argue that the answers lie in space, using “orbital data centres”, he added that he was working with a company, Axium Space, who were set to launch two nodes later this year.
pyman•6mo ago
If you're selling nicotine patches, you have to tell people how harmful smoking is.
pyman•6mo ago
I'm surprised the future of technology is in the hands of a few people who have absolutely no clue what's happening outside their computers.
Building a large data center near a town can strain the power grid, drain local water supplies, generate constant noise, release excess heat, harm the environment, disrupt traffic during construction, raise security concerns, and offer very little long-term benefit to the local community.
So, yeah, the solution is to cover the earth with data centers, right?
adamiscool8•6mo ago
pyman•6mo ago
Power strain – Data centres use a massive amount of electricity. That can put pressure on the local grid, driving up energy prices or causing outages during peak times.
Water usage – Cooling those servers takes a lot of water. In some cases, millions of litres a day. If the town already struggles with water, it’s going to get worse.
Noise pollution – The fans and backup generators run 24/7. Might not seem loud from afar, but for nearby residents, it’s constant low-level noise.
Heat output – The servers produce heat, and depending on how it’s handled, that heat can raise local temperatures or affect nearby ecosystems.
Environmental impact – You’ve got land cleared, energy consumed, water drained. It all adds up. Some centres also rely on diesel for backup, which means emissions.
Traffic and construction disruption – Building and maintaining it means trucks, equipment, workers. That can lead to road congestion and wear-and-tear on local infrastructure.
Security concerns – Big data centres can become targets for cyber attacks or even physical threats. Local emergency services might not be equipped for that.
Little benefit to locals – Most jobs are in construction and setup. Once it’s up, it runs with very few staff. So the town deals with the impact, but sees little upside.