AI server farms heat up the neighborhood for miles around, paper finds
Researchers say localized warming can extend well past site edges, raising concerns about community impact
Datacenters create heat islands that raise surrounding temperatures by several degrees at distances up to 10 km (over 6 miles), which could have an impact on surrounding communities.
The findings come from a team at the University of Cambridge, which examined the heat dissipation of large server farms, given the proliferation of these sites due to the current AI mania.
Their paper, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, claims that land surface temperatures surrounding datacenters were higher by between 0.3°C and 9.1°C (0.54°F and 16.38°F) after each facility started operations, with the average increase between 1.5°C and 2.4°C (2.7°F and 4.3°F).
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