00:00Everyone wants AI data centers until they show up, drain waters, drain power, and transform the landscape around them, like
00:07these ones in northern Spain.
00:09Enormous data centers are set to rise out of the ground to fuel the AI race.
00:15Behind the fences and the cranes, it may look like any other construction site, but it's the physical backbone of
00:22the internet and AI.
00:23On this and two other sites, Amazon Web Services is leading the charge, making its largest investment outside of the
00:30US.
00:31Aderon has become one of Europe's fastest-growing data center hubs, with investments announced by Amazon, Microsoft, and others surpassing
00:38$94 billion.
00:40But not everyone is buying the promise.
00:43Data centers need huge amounts of water and power, and in a region already prone to drought, that's raising alarm
00:49bells.
00:50Locals worry about strained electricity grids, water supplies being diverted, and the constant noise and heat from facilities the size
00:59of several city blocks.
01:01For some, the impact is already personal.
01:04Landowners say they're being pressured into selling, receiving letters giving them just days to decide.
01:09Others feel communities are being split, with neighbors pitied against each other over deals.
01:15Tech giants and regional officials argue the trade-off is worth it.
01:20Jobs, investment, and a shot at becoming Europe's data.
01:24Amazon Web Services says the impacts are reasonable for a project of this type.
01:28But for many residents in Aderon, the question is simpler.
01:32Who really benefits when big tech lives in?
01:34To the LB Wanting
01:34To the LB Wanting
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