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We visited the data center capital of the world in Northern Virginia, where gigantic, power-hungry buildings sit just steps away from people’s homes. In Ashburn, we investigated the societal and environmental impacts of these large-scale centers, interviewed locals on their firsthand experiences, and learned how the world’s digital backbone is reshaping an entire community.
0:00 Intro 1:10 DC Suburb AI Boom 1:36 Local Interview 2:01 Driving around the Data Centers 2:45 What Happens Inside a Data Center? 3:28 Local Concerns 7:09 Why Virginia? 7:37 “Data Gravity” 8:05 Local Insights 9:08 Water Usage Concerns 9:41 Environmental Costs 11:01 Data Center Riches 12:13 Massive Scale 12:30 Blackrock Data Center 12:50 Caught by Security 14:09 Outro