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Data centers trigger voter backlash

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Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#141

Post by godwinson__4-8 »

kentm wrote: post #121
godwinson__4-8 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make sense. The reason Congress is difficult is because of those same powerful people. A world in which you can actually stop the buildout is a world in which lobbying Congress is much easier. You have control over who you vote for. Congress is not elected nationally. Sorry I just don't see how your points make sense. You might have better success of pushing the data centers off to your neighbor. But thi…

I'm not sure why this is relevant: > This doesn't make sense. The reason Congress is difficult is because of those same powerful people. Its much easier to put someone who is aligned with your values into a local political position than congress. And its much more likely that your neighbors will vote in a way that aligns with your interests. And you won't get overridden by a congressman from several states away that…

If the reality you believe in is one in which pockets of local resistance to data centers is going to meaningfully derail AI buildout across the country then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

It's a bad idea. The few communities that succeed are still going to suffer the macro consequences of data centers being built in the next town over.

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#142

Post by logicchains »

vinniepukh wrote: post #101
exabrial wrote: post #100

Ah the power of Social Media manipulation. https://www.axios.com/2026/06/05/china-fueling-us-data-cente... Allegedly. Another groups claims false flag operation. Ain't it great?

you believe this?

Even OpenAI believes it, and found concrete evidence: https://openai.com/index/prc-linked-influence-operations-ai-...

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#143

Post by pesus »

simianwords wrote: post #96

This is because there's a new political divide that makes the old left vs right obsolete: it is neo-luddites vs tech optimists. It cross-cuts against the old and outdated political compass. Neo-luddites are usually the educated elite and genealogy is from old green or left politics but includes nationalists and social conservatives. I think media is broadly failing to recognise this new clan.

The current far right government/movement (aka conservatives) is far more in favor of AI than people opposed to them. You seem to be labeling just about everything as the opposite of what it actually is. Are you invested in or working at an AI company?

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#144

Post by logicchains »

socalgal2 wrote: post #99

I know I’ll get downvoted into oblivion but I can’t help but think data center and ai backlash manufactured or is a psi-ops campaign by Russia or China It doesn’t make any sense to me as the externalities are future not current and at no other point in time has the public cared about the future without first seeing concrete examples of harm. That hasn’t happened yet for data centers nor AI. It’s all “if, maybe, somet…

OpenAI literally found Chinese accounts trying to use ChatGPT to generate anti-datacenter propaganda: https://openai.com/index/prc-linked-influence-operations-ai-...

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#145

Post by csharpminor »

collabs wrote: post #78
xvedejas wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't most new capacity solar these days?

That we know of? Do you trust these tech bros to be truthful? > Just south of the Tennessee-Mississippi state line sits dozens of unpermitted gas turbines that power xAI’s Colossus 2 data center while releasing smog-forming pollution, soot, and hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde. The tech company set up the de facto power plant with no permits, no public input, and no notice to nearby communities that will have to…

“So glad we found a home for all of the Claudes!”

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#146

Post by nobodyandproud »

thewillowcat wrote: post #93

I can tell you, based on local examples, that politicians are setting up deals to bring in data centers without trying to build community support first. Not only that, they are often signing NDAs that prohibit them from telling voters what they have agreed to. It's no way to operate in a democracy, and voters are right to be angry.

Are those NDAs enforceable? That’s a major governance gap and problem if so.

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#148

Post by logicchains »

pantsforbirds wrote: post #124

I've never seen the level of anti-scientific, straight misinformation as I have with data centers. I genuinely think it's to the point where the antivaxxers have a stronger scientific backing for their stance. It did not feel organic at all. It's to the point now where that initial seeding of ideas has gained legitimate traction, but the initial burst of anti-datacenter content was wild to see in real time.

It's absolutely not organic: https://openai.com/index/prc-linked-influence-operations-ai-...

Re: Data centers trigger voter backlash

#149

Post by kentm »

godwinson__4-8 wrote: post #141
kentm wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure why this is relevant: > This doesn't make sense. The reason Congress is difficult is because of those same powerful people. Its much easier to put someone who is aligned with your values into a local political position than congress. And its much more likely that your neighbors will vote in a way that aligns with your interests. And you won't get overridden by a congressman from several states away that…

If the reality you believe in is one in which pockets of local resistance to data centers is going to meaningfully derail AI buildout across the country then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. It's a bad idea. The few communities that succeed are still going to suffer the macro consequences of data centers being built in the next town over.

I don't think anyone is expecting to seriously "derail AI" just by preventing data centers from being built in their neighborhood. But they can at least inconvenience the people they see as the perpetrators. If you can't win the fight, and can't walk away, at least you can give your opponent a bloody lip. And who knows, maybe it gets steam and the people in congress who have been actively ignoring them have incentives to at least throw them a bone.

If there were serious macro consequences then maybe it would be an issue but from the point of view of the communities -- there aren't. Data centers don't bring a lot of permanent employment and tend to be given tax breaks. They are skeptical that data centers are the boon that these people claim they are -- and they are right to be so since people pushing these data centers have been wildly untrustworthy at best.

Saying "You can't stop it so you might as well get on board and hope that in the future you can convince shareholders/billionaires/US Congress to give you a pittance of UBI" is going to go over like a lead brick. There's no reason to trust that UBI will come if you give up any leverage you have, even if it is a minuscule amount of leverage.

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