AT&T Has Been Hit With an Unexpected Crime Wave. The AI Boom Has Something To Do With It.
The AI boom is making one old-school commodity more valuable. Now companies are dealing with the costly consequences.
The AI boom is creating an unlikely villain. Not Sam Altman or Dario Amodei. Copper thieves. AT&T says it was hit with more than 10,400 copper thefts as criminals targeted phone lines for the valuable metal inside, according to NPR. The problem has become so widespread that the telecom giant has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to arrests. And the thefts aren’t limited to phone companies. EV charging stations have become targets, too, forcing operators to look for new ways to protect their equipment.
What’s behind the crime surge? Copper prices have roughly doubled over the past year as demand climbs. One reason is the rapid expansion of AI data centers, which require enormous amounts of copper. AT&T says higher copper prices have historically been linked to more theft.
For businesses, the losses go far beyond the value of the stolen metal. A bundle of copper wire worth only a few hundred dollars at a recycler can cause tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs, service disruptions and emergency maintenance work.
The AI boom is creating an unlikely villain. Not Sam Altman or Dario Amodei. Copper thieves. AT&T says it was hit with more than 10,400 copper thefts as criminals targeted phone lines for the valuable metal inside, according to NPR. The problem has become so widespread that the telecom giant has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to arrests. And the thefts aren’t limited to phone companies. EV charging stations have become targets, too, forcing operators to look for new ways to protect their equipment.
What’s behind the crime surge? Copper prices have roughly doubled over the past year as demand climbs. One reason is the rapid expansion of AI data centers, which require enormous amounts of copper. AT&T says higher copper prices have historically been linked to more theft.
For businesses, the losses go far beyond the value of the stolen metal. A bundle of copper wire worth only a few hundred dollars at a recycler can cause tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs, service disruptions and emergency maintenance work.
