As artificial intelligence went mainstream with the advent of OpenAI's ChatGPT and other generative programs in the 2020s, the construction of data centers across the U.S. began rapidly expanding.
Though data centers have existed since the 1940s in rudimentary form and support virtually all online services, their development has scaled exponentially as tech companies have scrambled to meet demand — prioritizing development in rural, low-tax regions with inexpensive real estate.
Data centers require significant amounts of fresh water to cool network servers. For example, research has shown that a typical ChatGPT search uses nearly 10 times more energy than an average Google search. Residents near these sprawling data centers have protested their development, which can affect these communities' water supply, produce greenhouse-gas emissions and burden local energy infrastructure. According to a May 2026 Gallup poll, seven in 10 Americans oppose local construction of AI data centers.
Snopes has explored various claims related to data centers, including whether a Utah data center would use 16 billion gallons of water and span almost three Manhattans, and whether BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said Americans' savings and investments will fund data centers.
Here are seven times Snopes has investigated rumors involving data centers:
