In northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley, windowless buildings the size of aircraft hangars are powering the United States’ artificial intelligence industry, which is locked in a race against China.
Yet, these data centers are increasingly reliant on China, the U.S.’s geopolitical rival, for a vital technology: batteries.
These facilities can use as much electricity as a small city, straining local power grids. Even flickers can have cascading effects, corrupting sensitive AI computer coding.
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