Thieves are targeting AI data center construction sites for copper
Thieves are increasingly targeting AI data center construction sites across the US for valuable materials like copper and infrastructure equipment. Recoveries near Chicago included $1.3 million in stolen supplies, with items originating from Alabama and Florida. This trend is noted amid growing public backlash against data center development, as exemplified by a protest in Box Elder County, Utah.
Thieves are increasingly targeting AI data center construction sites across the United States, stealing valuable materials such as copper and other expensive equipment. Authorities recently recovered two stolen trailers near Chicago, containing an estimated $1.3 million worth of data center supplies, including $300,000 in copper stolen from Alabama and an additional $1 million in infrastructure equipment taken from Florida. The US Department of Homeland Security estimates these cross-state thefts cost businesses approximately $35 billion annually, a figure expected to rise with the ongoing AI data center boom.
The surge in thefts is occurring amidst growing public opposition and