Post

Stephen Jacob Smith
@stephenjacobsmith.com

This is not even about an AI data center! It’s a local news clip that starts by saying they’ve been covering the “data center debate” for nearly a year but still have “few local examples,” so they go to the other side of the state and interview people about a five-year-old crypto mining facility!

Tom Mullaney@tommullaney.bsky.social

I have not seen anything from LLMs, image generators, NotebookLM, or any generative AI that justify the suffering their data centers cause. And this story isn't even Boxtown. youtu.be/9wDr2dec474?...

youtu.beNeighbors say noise from Michigan data center is 24/7 and upending their livesYouTube video by WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7

3 reposts85 likes

Stephen Jacob Smith
@stephenjacobsmith.com

At the end, the CEO says they’re shutting down the crypto mining and pivoting to AI and robotics and it’ll get a lot quieter and he’ll buy out the neighbors’ houses if they want. That’d be funny, if true – AI data center saves local residents’ sanity by replacing noisy crypto mining operation.

John Lansing
@pipedreaming.bsky.social

I’m also surprised that it was only 50 dB standing right there in front of the building? People are 100% valid being upset about the noise but this noise level pales in comparison to anything someone would experience living near a road (i.e. any urban context).

Marco Chitti
@chittimarco.bsky.social

The problem is that it's a constant, relentless noise. I've almost stopped using my balcony during summer since they built an office building hosting some data/server facility which requires a very noisy cooling system. We even madd the news many times! globalnews.ca/news/7934004...

globalnews.caConstant clamour from Canderel building continues to shell Mile-Ex residents - Montreal | Globalnews.caBorough officials say a private firm has been hired to identify the potential problem and find possible solutions to improve the living situation of residents.
Marco Chitti
@chittimarco.bsky.social

It's really a big drag on quality of life. Of course it's not the noisiest thing around in a city, but unlike the lawn mower I'm hearing right now, which is much louder but will eventually stop, it almost never goes away. And it's a low humming that gets on your nerves.

John Lansing
@pipedreaming.bsky.social

From interview after describing noise from data centers as ‘unprecedented’: “Noise in communities at high enough levels is associated with things like high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke.” Sounds serious, yet no mention of the source of 99% of noise pollution above safe levels near homes! 🤦🏻‍♂️