Data Centers as Modern Ritual Sites – Infrastructure, Myth, and Resource Flows in the AI Era

Abstract:

In the rapidly expanding ecosystem of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, data centers have emerged as potent symbols of technological progress, corporate power, and societal transformation. From a business anthropology viewpoint, these facilities are not merely technical infrastructure but cultural artifacts embodying contemporary myths of innovation, security, and elite resilience.

This article examines the material realities of data center resource consumption, particularly water—alongside speculative narratives of subterranean "elite cities," exploring how large-scale projects are framed publicly versus interpreted in popular discourse. It highlights tensions between promised economic opportunities and localized costs, drawing on ethnographic parallels in infrastructure studies.

The Data Center Boom: Temples of the Digital Age:

Data centers function as the "backbone" of the digital economy, housing servers that power everything from social media to advanced AI models. Their explosive growth is driven by verifiable demand: hyperscalers like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and emerging AI firms are investing billions to meet computational needs. Anthropologically, these sites resemble sacred or ritual spaces; highly secured, temperature-controlled environments where "data" (the new gold) is protected and processed, often hidden from public view.

Water as a Ritual Offering: Cooling is a core requirement. Large hyperscale facilities can consume hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons of water daily through evaporative cooling systems. A medium-sized center might use around 110 million gallons annually, while larger ones approach 5 million gallons per day—comparable to the usage of a small town (10,000–50,000 people). U.S. data centers collectively consumed tens of billions of gallons directly in recent years, with indirect use (via electricity generation) far higher. Northern Virginia's cluster alone used nearly 2 billion gallons in 2023. Projections indicate sharp rises with AI expansion.

This consumption creates real-world frictions: local water stress, community opposition, and environmental trade-offs, even as operators pursue efficiency gains like reclaimed water or liquid cooling. In business anthropology terms, water here represents a key resource flow in global capitalism; extracted, commodified, and contested at the intersection of tech growth and local ecologies.

Subterranean Narratives:

From Conspiracy to Corporate Strategy

Speculative theories posit that data centers and related infrastructure serve as covers for vast subterranean cities built by global elites and governments for doomsday preparedness. Claims, such as those involving trillions in "missing" funds for underground bunkers, circulate widely but lack verifiable evidence at the scale suggested. These stories tap into deep cultural anxieties about inequality, apocalypse, and hidden power structures—classic motifs in anthropological studies of myth and rumor in modern societies.

In reality, underground or hardened facilities do exist, but for practical reasons: physical security against cyberattacks, natural disasters, or geopolitical risks; stable temperatures; and data sovereignty. Examples include repurposed mines (e.g., Lefdal Mine Datacenter in Norway), former nuclear bunkers (e.g., Pionen in Sweden, Cyberfort in the UK), and mountain sites. These prioritize server resilience over human habitation at scale. Real elite preparations such as Mark Zuckerberg’s Hawaii compound with its reported underground shelter are often overt luxury projects framed as personal resilience or family estates, sparking debates about privacy, land use, and signaling.

From an anthropological lens, these narratives reveal how infrastructure becomes a canvas for projecting societal fears and hopes. The "data center as cover" myth mirrors older stories of hidden elites or underground realms, while actual projects reinforce corporate rituals of secrecy (NDAs, perimeter security) and public relations emphasizing “jobs and innovation.”

Jobs, Opportunities, and the Anthropology of Promise:

Data center projects are frequently pitched to communities with promises of economic revitalization: construction jobs, tax revenue, and a foothold in the "future economy." This aligns with business practices where large infrastructure serves as a development tool, often in rural or post-industrial areas. However, anthropologists note the "infrastructural in-between" nature: benefits can be uneven, with high-skill operational roles limited and long-term gains depending on negotiations.

Other advancements—AI infrastructure, energy projects, tunnels, or continuity-of-government sites—similarly leverage economic framing. While some elements involve legitimate classification for security, transparency varies. Business anthropology encourages examining these as sites of power negotiation, where corporate storytelling shapes public perception and reduces "eyebrows raised" over resource intensity.

Discussion: Culture, Power, and Accountability:

Data centers exemplify "technological wildernesses"—spaces imagined as depopulated and objective, yet deeply embedded in human systems of capital, labor, and environment. The tension between their real resource demands (water, energy) and conspiracy amplification highlights a cultural dynamic: in uncertain times, visible megaprojects invite mythic interpretations.

Transparent analysis shows AI-driven demand as the primary driver, with genuine challenges around sustainability. Elites “are” investing in resilience (bunkers, land, self-sufficiency), but these appear as fragmented, high-net-worth strategies rather than coordinated hidden civilizations. Rigorous scrutiny, satellite data, environmental reporting, and leaks make massive undetected subterranean cities improbable.

Business anthropologists can contribute by studying these intersections: corporate rituals of innovation, community impacts, and the semiotics of infrastructure. Greater disclosure on water/energy metrics and inclusive planning would bridge myth and materiality.

Conclusion:

Data centers are real engines of the AI age, consuming significant water under the banner of progress. While they offer volumes theoretically relevant to large populations if repurposed, their purpose remains computational. Subterranean and elite projects reflect legitimate security and preparedness trends amid visible wealth inequality. Understanding them anthropologically reveals not just technical systems, but cultural stories we tell about power, the future, and hidden worlds.

References / Links (transparent sourcing; accessed via public web data as of 2026):

- EESI on Data Centers and Water: https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption

- Underground Data Fortresses: https://theconversation.com/underground-data-fortresses-the-nuclear-bunkers-mines-and-mountains-being-transformed-to-protect-our-new-gold-from-attack-262578

- Zuckerberg Compound: https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-inside-hawaii-compound/

- Brookings on Data Center Prosperity: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/turning-the-data-center-boom-into-long-term-local-prosperity/

- Anthropological studies: See works on data centers as infrastructure (e.g., Johnson 2019 in American Ethnologist; Taylor on technological wilderness).

-Anthony Galima, “The Making and Unmaking of the Modern World: Business Anthropology.”