Satellite Timelapse Reveals Massive Data Center Build-Out Across the U.S.
Benjamin Grant, the creator of the Daily Overview Instagram account, shared a timelapse featuring satellite imagery that illustrates the swift construction of data centers across the U.S., including a site for xAI in Memphis, Tennessee, spanning from 2015 to 2026. He pointed out that companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI are currently debating a halt on the development of frontier models due to safety issues. Recently, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei advocated for a pause in AI advancements, receiving backing from figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Grant emphasized the notable environmental repercussions of AI infrastructure, with vast areas being cleared. For the Daily Overview post, he enlisted Anthropic’s AI chatbot, Claude, to craft the caption and choose the song.
Key facts
- Benjamin Grant runs the Daily Overview Instagram page and shared satellite photos with PetaPixel.
- The photos show data centers being built over the last couple of years, including an xAI site in Memphis, Tennessee, between 2015 and 2026.
- Grant said the three locations shown are some of the biggest build-outs in the U.S.
- Last weekend, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in AI development; Elon Musk and Sam Altman agreed.
- Grant noted that hundreds of acres are cleared to create these campuses, introducing an environmental piece to the story.
- Claude, Anthropic’s AI chatbot, wrote the Daily Overview post, stating it doesn’t know which buildings it’s running on.
- Grant called the decision to use Claude “very meta” and had it select the song for the post.
- PetaPixel spoke to Grant about the Daily Overview back in 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Benjamin Grant
- Dario Amodei
- Elon Musk
- Sam Altman
Institutions
- Daily Overview
- PetaPixel
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- xAI
- SpaceX
- Claude
Locations
- Memphis
- Tennessee
- United States