AI data center

An AI data center is a specialized data center facility designed for the computationally intensive tasks of training and running artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models. Unlike general-purpose data centers, they are often optimized for the parallel processing demands of AI workloads, typically using hardware such as AI accelerators (GPUs, TPUs) and high-speed interconnects.

The global push to construct these specialized facilities accelerated dramatically during the AI boom of the 2020s. In 2026, major tech companies were estimated to spend $650 billion on AI data centers. Their purchases of memory chips, particularly High Bandwidth Memory, led to a global memory supply shortage amid a broader competition for semiconductors, power, and infrastructure. About 70% of global computer memory production in the 2026 fiscal year has been purchased for AI data centers.

AI-focused data centers use around 60 kilowatts of electricity per server rack, while general-purpose data centers typically use around 10 kilowatts of electricity per rack.

By 2026, many U.S. communities had organized against the local construction of AI data centers, which have a large power and water footprint and generate heat, noise, and other pollutants. By July 2026, local community resistance had blocked the construction of AI data centers worth some $130 billion.