Ashburn (AFP) – The once-quiet town of Ashburn in Northern Virginia, near Washington, has transformed into the heart of the world’s digital infrastructure, handling an estimated 70 percent of global internet traffic and earning the moniker Data Center Alley in the process. Among its 40,000 citizens, Ashburn alone has 152 data centers currently in operation over its 40 square kilometers (15.4 square miles), with more bursting from the ground. But as tech giants race to build ever more massive structures, as part of an AI investment boom, it is also reshaping daily life for residents.
