Data centers carry a hidden cost that dwarfs their price tag, according to new research. It’s not money. It’s the health of Americans living near them.
In North America, the sprawling server farms used to train and run artificial intelligence models received a $47 billion investment surge last year, building out everything from cooling equipment to plumbing. The tech companies at the center of the data center craze, such as Meta and Google, took out $182 billion in loans last year to fund their splurge, double what they borrowed in 2024.
