How much heat does an AI data center generate and where is it located?

Tech giants are vying to build the infrastructure for artificial intelligence.

But there is growing evidence that AI hyperscalers – major cloud service providers like Google, Amazon and Microsoft – are also heating up sentiment around them.

A study (PDF) by researchers led by Cambridge found that land surface temperatures near AI data centers are increasing by an average of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), with some areas seeing increases of up to 9°C (16.2°F).

Researchers have called this the “data heat island effect.” Al Jazeera explains what it is, where AI data centers are concentrated and the impact it has on the people who live near these facilities.

How much energy do AI data centers use?

Every time someone uses ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, the request is processed in a data center, a massive facility full of specialized computers that run 24 hours a day.

AI data centers use powerful chips that perform thousands of calculations in parallel and generate large…