As Data Centers Expand, Should That Concern Schools?

One key focus is “promoting rapid expansion” of data centers, which are large, standalone buildings housing tech systems that support AI’s workload. Data centers — typically the size of a Walmart — are already rapidly cropping up across the nation. Virginia, deemed the “data center capital of the U.S.,” reports housing 35 percent of all known “hyperscale” data centers worldwide. The construction of data centers next to schools doesn’t necessarily create problems unique to schools alone, according to Andrew Chien, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. Carvalko added there is a push toward smaller data centers, called edge data centers, more similar to the size of a car versus a super store.