New Plush Toy 'Bezzy' Screams Like a Real Data Center
Studio Basura and musician Alan Wilkis have released a satirical plush toy called Bezzy that emits the piercing hum of an actual US data center when squeezed. The project aims to highlight noise and energy complaints from communities living near data centers.
New York–based creative studio Basura has teamed up with producer Alan Wilkis, known for his musical project Big Data, to launch a satirical initiative called "Adopt a Data Center." At its center is a plush toy named Bezzy, designed to look like a server rack with long arms, legs, and googly eyes.
Squeeze Bezzy's torso, and the toy plays a short, screeching sound clip — a real recording captured by a resident living near a data center in Virginia. The tag attached to the toy reads, "Hug me for ear-piercing forever hum."
The noise problem
Data centers have expanded rapidly across the US in recent years as major AI companies build out infrastructure to power their tools. These facilities have drawn criticism for heavy energy consumption and expanded reliance on gas power, while also generating complaints from nearby residents about noise pollution.
Basura founder Rajeev Basu said the recording was chosen because it was the clearest and most fittingly irritating. According to Basu, the person who made the recording described the sound as resembling a car alarm going off nonstop — a high-pitched noise that becomes impossible to ignore.
Purpose of the project
Basura has previously worked on other provocative projects, including luxury wear for dogs and a partnership with Yerba Madre that produced "dirt shoes" designed to break apart during a walk and spread wildflower seeds.
The data center project also includes a set of stickers with slogans such as "Every data center deserves a forever home." Basu said the initiative grew out of dozens of interviews with people living near data centers across the US. Only 20 Bezzy toys are available, priced at $99 each, but the physical product is meant mainly as a hook to draw attention to facts about how data centers affect local communities and resources.
