FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — As debate continues over a proposed edge computing project at different fairgrounds across California, including the Kings County Fairgrounds, one question has surfaced repeatedly: Are all data centers considered AI data centers?
According to Eric Masanet, Professor and Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies at the University of California San Diego, the answer is no.
“The actual definition is pretty broad,” Masanet told FOX26. He said a data center can range from a small server room with a few racks of equipment to massive AI campuses spanning hundreds of thousands of square feet.
Masanet said an edge data center is simply one type of data center. Unlike large AI campuses, edge facilities are built close to end users to reduce delays in transmitting information.
“The reason we call them edge data centers is because they’re located at the edge of the internet network, really close to end user applications,” Masanet said. “It might have a high power draw, but nothing like the gargantuan data centers that occupy many acres.”
He added that the terms “edge” and “AI” are not mutually exclusive, meaning an edge data center can also host AI computing.
Rather than focusing solely on what a project is called, Masanet said communities should ask about a facility’s size, power demand, water use, cooling technology and transparency.
“We need to think more about how large is it, how much power, how much water, what is it doing,” Masanet said. “We need to think a little bit more in a nuanced way about what a data center is.”
He said those questions can help communities better understand a project’s potential impact and make more informed decisions about proposals in their neighborhoods.