ALBAWABA - Thieves in the U.S. are now targeting AI data center construction sites for copper and other expensive equipment as authorities found $1.3 million in stolen supplies.
As data centers hate spreads across the U.S. particularly after the latest deadly bacteria incident, thieves are now viewing the construction sites for these centers as fair game.
Investigators recently recovered two stolen trailers filled with $1.3 million worth of data center supplies near Chicago, including $300,000 in stolen copper from Alabama, alongside another trailer containing $1 million of infrastructure equipment taken from Florida.
These cross-state thefts seem to be a booming industry with the wake of the AI data center boom, the US Department of Homeland Security estimates that these thefts cost businesses about $35 billion a year - set to increase as more data centers continue to be built across the U.S.
Public backlash has been sparked across the aisle regarding the huge drive in building AI data centers over their energy use and water consumption; it seems Americans won’t mind if the data center craze was halted in its tracks - the only group working toward that end are the thieves.
As the AI boom continues, more people worry it’s going to take their jobs. However, for the thieves, the AI boom is creating jobs, with every data center being built, truckfuls of valuable equipment are being hauled across the country, allowing even thieves to branch into AI.
