Everyday things that would quit working without data centers

The article argues that data centers are the unseen infrastructure behind everyday digital life, powering apps, AI chatbots, video calls, and online shopping. It notes that thousands of servers operate around the clock inside large, warehouse-like facilities, processing requests and storing data. The U.S. has roughly 4,000 operational data center facilities, with more planned or under construction as demand for cloud computing and AI grows. It then outlines how data centers support common activities: keeping apps running, enabling smooth streaming and gaming, storing photos and files for services like cloud backups, and powering search results by quickly processing large information sets. The piece frames data centers as increasingly essential rather than niche technology.