- AI data center cooling systems and generators are causing illness
- The noise emitted by data centers is below the threshold of human hearing.
- Infrasound can be “felt” and causes dizziness, nausea, anxiety, and more.
People living near AI data centers in the US are increasingly reporting illnesses caused by a nearly imperceptible hum.
Infrasound, which in some cases can be “felt” rather than heard, is causing people living in close proximity to several data centers to become ill with symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, nausea and anxiety.
Those living near certain data centers have reported noise levels approaching 100 dB, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Undetectable hum
Numerous grassroots groups and local communities have launched bids to stop or halt the construction of data centers on the grounds of electricity consumption, pollution, and general opposition to AI.
Now, concerns about noise pollution could soon be added to the list. According to the Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI), data centers emit sounds in a range of frequencies, both high and low. Lower frequencies, especially those below the threshold of human hearing, are particularly difficult to detect without reliable equipment, making noise auditing especially difficult for local communities.
Residents of Brittany Heights in Chandler, Arizona, were forced to try to block out the constant hum of a data center built in 2014 using noise-canceling headphones and earplugs to little effect. Noise pollution was such a problem for local residents that it led to the blocking of the proposal for a new data center.
š¦Residents living near AI data centers report a constant low-frequency hum measured as infrasound, a sound below the human hearing threshold that causes dizziness, nausea, vertigo and sleep disturbances. The noise comes from the cooling systems and gas turbine hyperscalers on siteā¦ pic.twitter.com/6tqjkrGiJ4May 8, 2026
Because AI data centers rely on huge amounts of GPUs to operate, they generate an enormous amount of heat. GPUs require cooling to operate at maximum efficiency, which means huge amounts of energy are used to cool the air. This can represent up to 40% of a data center’s total electrical consumption.
Many data centers also use backup generators to keep their electricity supply at 100%. In many cases, these are diesel generators that are turned on during peak hours, when electricity providers need to supply power to other residential and industrial areas. As a result, banks of generators are turned on, releasing up to 105 dB each to keep power flowing.
It’s even worse for off-grid data centers. Instead of building the expensive infrastructure to connect a data center to existing infrastructure near population centers, some data centers are built in rural areas and run on turbines fueled by natural gas. These turbines generate electricity similar to how jet engines generate thrust. The sound of these turbines can be heard many kilometers away.
A study published in the US National Library of Medicine tested the effects of infrasound above 100 dB on human tissue. The experiment concluded that infrasound can affect heart function as little as one hour after exposure.
Infrasound has also been referenced as a potential cause of the so-called “Havana Syndrome” experienced by American and Canadian diplomats and their families working in certain locations abroad, who experienced symptoms similar to those living near data centers.
Through Tom Hardware
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
