Meet Bezzy, the screaming data center plushie

A satirical stuffed toy that emits real data center noise to highlight the hidden costs of AI infrastructure.

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Sep 18, 2026

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Meet Bezzy, the screaming data center plushie

A satirical stuffed toy that emits real data center noise to highlight the hidden costs of AI infrastructure.

In brief

A satirical stuffed toy that emits real data center noise to highlight the hidden costs of AI infrastructure. Data centers powering AI are spreading across the US, creating noise pollution and energy concerns that most people never think about. Originally reported by WIRED.

Meet Bezzy the plushie

A data center plush toy.

Squeeze this adorable stuffed server rack and hear a piercing scream. It's the actual sound recorded from a Virginia data center, designed to make you uncomfortable.

“Hug me for ear-piercing forever hum.”

A collaboration born from frustration

Basura studio and Big Data producer Alan Wilkis created Bezzy to spark conversation about data centers spreading across thousands of US acres to power AI tools.

Data centers are everywhere now

Built by major AI companies, data centers consume massive amounts of energy and have sparked complaints about noise pollution from nearby residents.

The sound is intentionally awful

The sound is intentionally awful

The recording captures a neighbor's description: like a car alarm going off nonstop, high-pitched and impossible to ignore. Basura chose it because it was the clearest and most irritating.

“like a car alarm going off nonstop. It's high-pitched, and it's all you can focus on.”

Only 20 dolls exist at $99 each

Handmade in the US, Bezzy is intentionally scarce. But the real goal is getting people to click through and read about data center impacts, not selling toys.

The real question is power and choice

Basura founder Rajeev Basu says the project isn't about whether data centers should exist, but who decides where they go and whether nearby communities actually benefit.

“It's not about whether AI data centers should exist. It's about who gets to decide where they go, what resources they consume, and whether the communities living beside them actually benefit.”

The big picture

Data centers powering AI are spreading across the US, creating noise pollution and energy concerns that most people never think about.

Read the original on WIRED

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