this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2026
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The vast data centers that power artificial intelligence are so energy hungry that they’re heating up their surroundings, according to new research. It’s an alarming finding given the number of data centers is predicted to explode over the next few years.

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[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 59 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

i work for a large power company, we have a data center customer that have as many equally sized cooling towers as one of our nuclear power plants.

[–] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 22 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

Pretty soon you’ll just have nuclear plants just to power data centers.

[–] Naia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 13 minutes ago

Come to think of it, you would think power generation would perceptively increase the temperature in the surrounding air and while I have heard of nuclear plants making bays or rivers a few degrees warmer near the plant I don't think it's even been described as this bad.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

You'll need the same number of cooling towers for the computers too. All the energy created by the reactor will turn into heat, essentially doubling the amount of cooling needed.

[–] Naia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 minutes ago

I don't know why they don't use geothermal cooling, especially with the footprint these things have. Compared to everything else it wouldn't increase the cost that much, depending on how they do it, and even if it didn't cover all the cooling needs it would cut down a lot of it.

[–] ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world 17 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Didn't Microsoft try to pay for a nuclear plant to be recommissioned just to power a data centre or something?

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 12 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

There have been several data centers that have bought nuclear plants, including Three Mile Island, they're going to fire that bitch back up, also the Regulators have been disempowered. Propublica on the last part if I recall.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 9 hours ago

something tells me Datancenters power needs will exceed that of old nuclear plants, since they are tyring to expand.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 4 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (2 children)

Nuclear plants to power data centers to make ai slop to make more need for data centers to feed us ai ad slop...when does it fucking end?

I hope some vigilantes start taking action against these damn wastes of space.

[–] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Have you seen the movie Bugonia? I’m nearly convinced that CEO’s are all human looking aliens that are determined to destroy earth and enslave humans. #tinfoilhat #downtherabbithole

[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

The disease is late stage capitalism, the symptom is a mad dash to trade our natural resources for energy and pollution. The mad dash will continue as long as we're bleeding humanity to keep the shareholders high and dry.