Big, noisy and coming to a town near you - why the data centre backlash is growing
Data centres are the lifeblood of our digital world, but there are growing concerns about their environmental impact. The BBC explores their rise in charts.
These giant, warehouse-like buildings power virtually all our internet activity, from our web searches and emails to movie downloads and online banking.
They are at the heart of the AI boom, housing the advanced computer chips and servers needed to run services like ChatGPT and Claude.
But the speed at which they're growing, the enormous amount of electricity they consume and concerns about their environmental impact are fuelling a public backlash around the world.
It will also be used to train xAI's chatbot Grok. Elon Musk's company will use 41 methane gas turbines to help power the site, which activists say could "significantly increase" local air pollution, external. Local regulators say the turbines will meet air quality standards.