This aerial satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs (PBC) shows the "Data Center Alley" area in Ashburn, Virginia, in November 2025. Data centers are the physical infrastructure that make our digital lives possible, yet most people have never seen one up close or understand how they operate. Roughly 12,000 data centers are in operation in the world, with about half in the US, according to Cloudscene, a data center directory. (Photo by Planet Labs PBC / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Planet Labs PBC / Handout" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - DO NOT REMOVE/CROP WATERMARKS / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Alex PIGMAN: "Data centers: a view from the inside"