re: The lying and catastrophizing regarding AI Data Centers is reaching critical mass

Posted by doc baklava

Between heaven and hell

Member since Oct 2020

1087 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 3:10 pm to Roaad

Why aren't data centers in primarily very cold places?

Posted by Obtuse1

Westside Bodymore Yo

Member since Sep 2016

30512 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 3:55 pm to TejasHorn

quote:

There is so much empty old office space and warehouses around, it feels like a better long term plan would be conversion of those. I suppose the financials aren’t in line short-term though. Sigh..

Sounds good, doesn't work. AI data centers have to be incredibly efficient and the basic structure and all internal infrastructure has to be designed almost like a mega-sized micro-processor. This level of efficiency requires purpose built huge buildings.

They can build them in the middle of nowhere because during the learning stage latency isn't an issue.

The problem for a lot of these areas, betting the farm on AI data centers, is that they are basically obsolete by the time the power gets turned on a new one. Companies are burning monster piles of cash on the AGI gambit. The first company to get to AGI will be the most valuable company in the world basically overnight, the problem is the first loser will get buried for many years. #2 won't be the Pepsi to Coke, it will be the RC Cola to Coke. Many of these learning AI data centers will end up abandoned fairly soon because it simply won't be economically feasible to keep them viable.

The next phase will be AI data centers optimized for inference, and those will have to be near population centers to reduce latency that is when a lot more people will enter the NIMBY collective not just the folks that live in the middle of nowhere.

Posted by GulfSouthTiger

Member since Jun 2025

611 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 4:04 pm to TigerFanatic99

quote:
Out of control big tech is going to end up being the deathblow for humanity.

Posted by HighlyFavoredTiger

Member since Jun 2018

973 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 4:43 pm to notsince98

I’ve worked at 5 different facilities that used closed cooling water loops, regardless of where they got their water source, no CCW loop can cool for extended periods of time without adding more water to the system, solids build up, chlorides build up, water evaporates, systems require blow down to remove solids and regulate chemicals, water leaks from pumps, piping and equipment…there are multiple reasons why a closed cooling water loop isn’t just fill it and forget it, you can be assured, they will use more water than they’re reporting that they use.

Posted by deuceiswild

South La

Member since Nov 2007

5043 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 5:00 pm to HighlyFavoredTiger

All of this is true, but it doesn't have to be this way (leakage, blowdown, etc).

We have several closed cooling loops where I am right now. Of the two that come to mind, one is about 5400 gal and the other is 50,000 gal. Both with automatic makeup. The smaller one made up once in the last 30 days. The larger one, about three times per week. A single makeup is about 20 gallons.

The reason? They're safety related and therefore regulated. We take care of them with proper chemistry and maintenance. And it isn't cheap.

There is also a third system I am thinking of that's at least 50,000 gallons, but I'd guess it's bigger. It's not safety related, doesn't get the same scrutiny, and yet it makes up even less than the others.

Posted by bad93ex

Walnut Cove

Member since Sep 2018

36144 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 5:08 pm to Salmon

quote:
corporations being the customers of AI corporations

Shades of Tim Robbins in Team America

quote:

Let me tell you how all this works: you see, data centers are funded by the corporations, so they fight for the corporations... while they sit in their corporation buildings... and they're all corporation-y... and they make lots of money!

Posted by Dirt Booger

Comanche County

Member since Apr 2023

846 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 5:15 pm to Loup

quote:
There is one dude in West Feliciana (he is barely literate) who shares every anti-AI post

He’s too stupid to realize he’s sharing Chinese propaganda

Posted by Centinel

Idaho

Member since Sep 2016

46121 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 5:19 pm to Obtuse1

quote:
The next phase will be AI data centers optimized for inference, and those will have to be near population centers to reduce latency

There are ways to address this, and it's being done right now. The latency issue that is, along with the ability to rapidly reroute traffic between CSPs, edge points, and data centers in near-real time based on demand. NIaaS if you will.

This post was edited on 5/19/26 at 5:22 pm

Posted by bad93ex

Walnut Cove

Member since Sep 2018

36144 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 5:22 pm to Dirt Booger

quote:
He’s too stupid to realize he’s sharing Chinese propaganda

Classic tell right now is the protests on college campuses since last week it was "Queers for Palestine."

Posted by Obtuse1

Westside Bodymore Yo

Member since Sep 2016

30512 posts

Posted on 5/19/26 at 7:20 pm to Centinel

quote:
The latency issue that is, along with the ability to rapidly reroute traffic between CSPs, edge points, and data centers in near-real time based on demand. NIaaS if you will.

Edge locations are exactly what I am talking about. They can be small now but as AI inference traffic builds exponentially in terms of small, latency-sensitive requests, those edge locations are going to have to scale significantly compared to the more common large steady state transfers of today.