Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion | View From Above | Business Insider

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The explosion of AI across every industry has seen hundreds of water- and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US. Already, one-third of the world's internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia. However, until now, there has been no official record of the number of data centers in America, who owns them, or how much electricity they consume. In an exclusive deep dive into the industry, Business Insider reporters cracked the code and, for the first time, revealed the true cost of the data warehouses feeding our growing appetite for cloud computing and AI. We travelled to Virginia to meet people living in the shadow of 80-foot-high boxes that emit a constant drone, and to the drought-ridden state of Arizona, where some data centers are using as much as a million gallons of water a day to help cool their computer servers. Business Insider also discovered that the power needs of data centers have forced some states to withdraw from their carbon emissions targets. Power companies are even looking to extend the life of coal and gas plants to help meet the unprecedented demand. Check to see what data centers might be near your region: https://trib.al/ULMwE6g You can access our long read on data centers on the Business Insider website: https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-center-development-true-cost-environmental-impact-2025-6 Take a look at Business Insider's methodology for a full breakdown of how we conducted our research and compiled our map: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-calculate-data-center-cost-environmental-impact-methodology-2025-6 #datacenters #ai #viewfromabove 00:00 - Intro 01:34 - Welcome to Data Center Alley 02:41 - Living Next Door to a Data Center 05:16 - How We Built Our Data Center Map 07:59 - A Drive Through 'Data Center Alley' 09:21 - Inside a Data Center in Wyoming 12:23 - How Does a Data Center Work? 13:52 - Living With the Drone - Meet Carlos 17:34 - Thirsty Data Centers in Drought Country 23:25 - Data Centers Vs Environmental Targets 26:38 - Tax Breaks and Incentives 28:34 - Just the Beginning 29:14 - Donna's Choice 29:48 - Company Responses 30:25 - Credits ------------------------------------------------------ MORE VIEW FROM ABOVE EPISODES: Why the US Operates 750 Military Bases Around the World https://youtu.be/blMRs6Wh-G0 Inside Gaza’s Deadly Food Economy https://youtu.be/XoTZItCldn4 Why Rebuild LA When It Will Just Burn Again? https://youtu.be/WJhqu5_HzBU Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com Business Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Business_Insider/5319643143 Business Insider on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessinsider Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion | View From Above | Business Insider