Researchers led by Andrea Marinoni at the University of Cambridge use two decades of NASA land-surface temperature data to show AI data centers raise local temperatures by 2°C on average once they start operating, creating what the study calls a data heat island effect. The analysis estimates more than 340 million people worldwide live in these warming zones, adding thermal impact to the environmental costs of AI infrastructure.
(PDF) The data heat island effect: quantifying the impact of AI data centers in a warming world
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Summary
Details
Author:
Andrea Marinoni et al.
Organization:
arXiv
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Published date:
March 21, 2026
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