Iowa is home to some 50 data centers built for Google, Meta, Microsoft and Apple. What kind of impact do they have on the state?
On this episode of River to River, Shaolei Ren, a leading expert on the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence, discusses the challenges of dealing with AI's vast and growing energy footprint and water usage, as well as ways that AI can be used to benefit the environment.
Christina Murphy from West Des Moines Water Works discusses the impact of data centers in West Des Moines and Margaret Barthel, the Northern Virginia reporter with WAMU, discusses how data centers have changed the region.
This episode was originally produced Feb. 6, 2025.
Guests:
- Shaolei Ren, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Riverside
- Christina Murphy, general manager, West Des Moines Water Works
- Margaret Barthel, Northern Virginia Reporter, WAMU 88.5 American University Radio
