Universities sell land to tech giants, raising concerns over AI impact

In February 2026, The George Washington University in the United States announced the sale of its Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, to Amazon for $427 million. This decision was made public suddenly, with the university unable to disclose the buyer initially due to a confidentiality agreement. The sale has been viewed as a symptom of a larger trend in higher education, where financial pressures are leading universities to sell off valuable land to accommodate the growing demand for data centers. Ellen Scully-Russ, a former professor at GW, expressed concerns about the implications of such transactions on the future of higher education and the accountability of universities in the face of booming AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan is pursuing a different approach by developing a $1.25 billion high-performance computing and research center in Ypsilanti Township, which it refers to as a specialized research hub rather than a commercial data center. This project has faced opposition from local residents, highlighting the tension between university expansion and community interests. The contrasting strategies of these two universities reflect the broader challenges and opportunities that institutions of higher education face in adapting to the rapidly evolving technological landscape.