Vulnerable People and Places Blog

     AI datacenters require a significant amount of resources, primarily energy and water. They cover large amounts of land, taking up space occupied by natural wildlife. Datacenters also contribute to the vast amounts of electronic waste in landfills, which are non-biodegradable. Overall, datacenters are far from environmentally sustainable. However, these centers are essential to powering the current state of AI and numerous other systems such as cloud storage. It would take huge changes in corporations and society to move to a different system than what is already in place.      Realistically, companies and governments can take measures to establish and use datacenters responsibly. They can use alternative sources of energy such as solar power, and manage waste better. AI also may help more than harm. It is helping in improving scientific research on environmental sustainability and climate change. To support these changes and reduce significant waste, w...

Artificial intelligence is a useful tool and fascinating development that has surged in recent years. While previously we feared computers reaching levels of near-human intelligence, AI has become an extremely valuable asset to businesses and individuals. Still, many people foresee a sudden robot takeover of the world following the emergence of AI. While AI likely won’t surpass human intelligence anytime soon, here are a few risks we should consider. AI replacing jobs is a significant concern among most workers today. AI can already be seen replacing certain professional responsibilities such as data entry, basic customer service, and even creative labor such as simple graphic design (think Canva AI). However, AI is certainly not at the level yet of replacing the jobs of healthcare professionals such as medical doctors and therapists, or creative jobs such as artistic direction. In fact, AI being used to replace therapy in some cases can lead to dangerous outcomes.  AI should certa...

       Most people use artificial intelligence (AI) every day without thinking about what makes it possible. When you ask ChatGPT a question, watch a movie online, or save your photos to the cloud, all that information is handled in big buildings called data centers. As AI becomes more common, we need more of these data centers, and Oregon is becoming a hub for them.                  Data centers are big buildings full of servers that store and process huge amounts of data. They help businesses, hospitals, schools, banks, and millions of people who use the internet every day. Oregon is a good place for new data centers because of its cool weather, renewable energy, and strong tech industry.    Data centers bring jobs and money to the area, but they also have some big problems. They use a lot of electricity and water to keep running. People in the community might worry about how new data centers affect land, ...

  In the current day and age, AI seems to have worked its way into many aspects of our lives. Whether it be utilizing AI in one’s job or asking ChatGPT a simple question, interacting with AI seems to be a very fast process. Despite its apparent simplicity, the process behind how an AI retrieves information is more complex than one would expect. Much of the technology that goes into a functional AI resides in specialized data centers, which hold hundreds of computers, servers, and other kinds of equipment that are constantly running. This 24/7 function comes with several consequences, one of which being constant noise pollution. Fans and generators make loud, droning sounds that aren’t just heard but felt too in the form of vibrations. Many people who live near data centers have raised complaints about the sound, saying that the constant humming can be perceived nearly a mile away from the data center itself. Reports show that the sound is very disruptive to nearby residential...

  Artificial intelligence has become part of our everyday lives. Whether you're using ChatGPT, asking Siri a question, or searching on Google, AI seems almost effortless. But what most people don't realize is that every AI response depends on massive data centers working around the clock. Data centers are large buildings filled with thousands of computers that store and process information. They make AI possible, but they also use enormous amounts of electricity and water to keep their systems running. As AI continues to grow, companies are building more and more data centers, which can place extra pressure on local communities and the environment. Many people support these projects because they bring investment, new technology, and some jobs. Others are concerned about the increased energy use, water consumption, noise, and the impact on nearby neighborhoods. These concerns have led to growing debates about where data centers should be built and how companies can reduce th...

  “The Cloud Lives Here: Oregon’s Data Center Boom and the Hidden Cost Behind Every Click” Move aside, Silicon Valley, California—Oregon has entered the conversation. For decades, California’s Silicon Valley has been recognized as the global center of technology innovation, home to some of the world’s largest technology companies and groundbreaking ideas. But the future of technology isn’t just being built in California anymore. Across the United States—and increasingly around the world—the conversation has shifted toward massive data centers. These enormous facilities have quietly become the backbone of our digital society, powering everything from streaming movies and online banking to cloud storage, artificial intelligence, and the apps we use every day. For many of us, the idea of giant computer networks isn’t new. We’ve watched movies since the 1980s and 1990s that imagined supercomputers, artificial intelligence, and f...