DETROIT – Communities across Southeast Michigan are grappling with a surge of data center proposals, leading to growing resistance from residents concerned about environmental impacts and quality of life issues.
Data centers are massive facilities filled with computer servers that store and process digital information. Every time someone streams a video, scrolls through social media, shops online, or uses a smartphone, these facilities handle the data. With artificial intelligence technology expanding rapidly, the need for data storage continues to grow.
“A lot of people are unaware that they have been using data centers all along,” said Gabriel Wilson, who owns an AI company in Detroit…