Computer Scientist Urges Innovation for Responsible Data Center Development
A computer scientist discusses the environmental impacts of AI and data centers, highlighting Google's water usage in Botetourt County, Virginia, amidst a drought. The article advocates for innovation in various fields to build data centers more responsibly, addressing concerns like community pushback, power shortages, and regulatory actions.
Christine Julien, a computer science professor at Virginia Tech, highlights the growing environmental concerns associated with artificial intelligence and data centers, prompted by her daughter's observations. She points to a specific Google data center campus in Botetourt County, Virginia, as an example, noting Google's substantial water consumption across its facilities while the region faces drought conditions.
Julien connects these local issues to broader trends, including Virginia's recent passage of the nation's first tax on data center energy consumption. She also mentions that many data centers nationwide are experiencing delays or cancellations due to permitting disputes, power shortages, and community opposition.
The article calls for a "reckoning" similar to the one that led to a safer electrical grid, advocating not for a halt to data center development but for significant innovation. Julien proposes advancements in economics to accurately cost resources, environmental science to measure impacts, materials science for more efficient cooling, and computer science to shrink AI models. She also emphasizes the need for innovations in regional planning, organizational leadership, education, and app design to ensure data centers are built responsibly and contribute positively to communities.