In My Backyard? Digital Heat Islands and the Environmental Justice of AI Infrastructure in Phoenix

Artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is reshaping urban thermal environments, yet concentrated digital facilities remain largely absent from urban climate analytical frameworks. This study introduces the Digital Heat Island (DHI) — a localized thermal anomaly associated with continuously operating digital infrastructure — and presents an exploratory spatial analysis of 46 data center buildings across Phoenix, Arizona. Using ECOSTRESS land surface temperature (LST) imagery, Landsat-derived NDVI, and American Community Survey sociodemographic data, we examine thermal, vegetation, and demographic patterns within 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3km buffer zones around data centers. Results reveal modestly elevated surface temperature (39.74°C within 0-1 km versus 39.26°C citywide), vegetation deficits (NDVI 0.15 within 0-1km versus 0.17 citywide), and disproportionate proximity to low-income and minority populations. While the analysis is exploratory and does not establish causality, the consistency of these patterns across buffer zones motivates a new interdisciplinary research agenda integrating urban climate science, digital geography, and environmental justice.