[handoflixue]

"The operation of AI will require 14,500 square kilometres of land"

I'm always so confused by articles that try to scare you with big numbers. We have tons of land. Land is one of the few things we are not at all running out of, especially in the USA. The USA is 9,372,610 square kilometers. 1% of that is 93,000, so this is like 0.2% of the US?

It's such a transparent scare tactic, and a clear sign the article isn't interested in raising any credible concerns - just rabble rousing.

[verdverm]

Not to mention that there are different types of water cooled data centers. We can pass regulations to force them to use the type that does not use evaporative cooling.

Does it cost more? Yes.

Can they afford it? Yes.

[BizarroLand]

I have recently reached the point of not caring about any article whose title implies that the sky is falling.

Once you see that pattern, it's everywhere. There are vast swathes of people whose livelihoods rely on terrorizing anyone whose eyeballs graze past the words they have written.

The food in their children's mouths is paid for by the fear they inspire by finding the worst possible (but not technically false) interpretation of EVERY SINGLE THING ON THE PLANET.

I have my circle of influence. Inside of the circle, I will care. I will do what I can. I will recycle. I will turn the lights off when I leave the room. I will care for the world I find myself in to the extent my arms can reach it.

Outside of that? Not my circus, not my monkeys.

[dnnddidiej]

But will data centres tend to be near hotspots like current AWS main regions or typical edge locations like major cities. Then add all other requirements and you get that you probably stick some of that IMBY rather than in the middle of the desert.