Hug a Plush Data Center, Hear the Real Scream of AI Infrastructure

Basura made 20 handmade plush data centers for Big Data that play the real hum of an AI facility when hugged — satire grounded in interviews with US residents.

Section: Architecture
Author: By Elena Vasquez
Filed: October 2, 2026
Length: 2 min read

Key takeaways

All 20 Bezzy toys were handmade by New York studio Basura for music artist Big Data's album 4.0.
The toy plays the high-pitched hum of a real AI data center, recorded by a resident of Virginia.
Basura interviewed dozens of people living near data centers across the US for the project.

Squeeze the plush toy called Bezzy and it plays the high-pitched hum of a real AI data center, recorded by a resident of Virginia who lives next to one. New York-based creative studio Basura built the object as a satirical project for the music artist Big Data, whose forthcoming album is titled 4.0.

The project, Adopt A Data Center, uses a familiar childhood format to examine how technological progress gets packaged and sold. Its accompanying 'Adoption Site' collects links to research and reporting on the impact of data centers. Basura also interviewed dozens of people living near data centers across the US as part of the research.

'Adopt A Data Center examines the stories we are sold, versus the reality communities experience, as one of the greatest revolutions in human history plays out,' said Rajeev Basu, artist and founder of Basura. The studio is known for unconventional creative work, including the earlier 'Dirt Shoes' project.

Bezzy draws on the plush animals sold by organizations such as WWF through initiatives like Adopt-a-Seals and Adopt-A-Pandas. Its design merges the visual language of an 80s childhood toy with that of a corporate mascot. Round eyes, a coy smile, and long, shaggy arms and legs give the data center a softer, more vulnerable appearance.

All 20 toys were handmade. The design deliberately avoids a new or highly polished look; it aims for the familiarity of an object that has always been around. At the same time, details of its appearance are carefully considered, reflecting the engineered visual language associated with Big Tech.

The project ties the physical footprint of data centers to a broader unease about technology's role in daily life. 'Big Tech encroaches into every area of our lives. We're rarely totally happy about the benefits, but we're also powerless. AI data centers are like the physical embodiment of that same feeling,' said Alan Wilkis of Big Data, whose music explores the relationship between humans and machines.

Adopt A Data Center coincides with the upcoming release of Big Data's album 4.0, positioning the toy as both merchandise and media criticism — a cuddly object that refuses to let its owner forget what infrastructure sounds like up close.

Project information