The data center fight is hitting a fever pitch. Here's how they actually work

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Liquid-cooled servers at the Global Switch Docklands data center campus in London on June 16, 2025. Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Data centers have become the face of AI backlash, with celebrities, politicians and protesters pushing to slow their growth.

Why it matters: America's sharply rising public opposition to data centers — which fuel our everyday use of the internet — could pose an existential threat to AI's growth.