**Bumped by Request**
A few weeks ago, I was having a politics conversation with a tech insider. The issue of datacenters became a focus of the conversation. The first response from him was “this is the issue that might decide 2026 and will certainly decide 2028.”
The tech side of the issue is essentially: As 5G wifi was to mobile connectivity, so too are the datacenters the cornerstone of nationwide AI rollout. Eventually, all of the datacenters will interconnect and become part of a massive information system that houses all knowledge, a great digital brain. From that point, engagement with Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will become like a public utility.
The datacenters themselves can be a hot button issue as their proximity to people creates friction. Battles against datacenters are taking place in rural and non-rural areas alike. With deep pockets and strong national security arguments involving the “AI race,” the technocrats are currently winning the argument. However, as with all special interest issues, the opportunity for political benefit now determines DC advocacy. WATCH:
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Is opposition to datacenters strong enough to tilt the outcome of the 2026 midterms? And do you believe 2028 will be determined with this issue at the forefront?
We don’t have the luxury to wait for quantum mechanical memory technology to catch up with traditional electronic memory from the perspective of reliability and practical cost (Predictions are 10+ years away). We also can’t fall behind our competitors in this critical AI infrastructure.
For now, we need those data centers.
Data centers are already obsolete, according Jay Valentine. It’s why the Chinese are not building them. Ironically, it’s a centralized economy (China) moving away from the “centralization” (data centers) of technology. Why? A data center goes down, and it affects millions of consumers at the same time. “Localize” compute on smartphones, one or thousands can go down, but the smartphones still work for the rest of us.
I’ve asked dozens of people in the tech world if what Valentine says is true or possible. They dismiss it out of hand. Is this the “ostrich with his head in the sand” mentally because there are literally $trillions to be made building these things?
Noticed your post just after posting my own.
Cheers!
The argument:
“… Pay attention here – this is the singularly most asked question we get:
“Microsoft, Oracle, Palantir, META – are gazillion dollar companies – they are filled with smart guys, so why didn’t they just optimize their software for A.I.?”
They didn’t optimize for A.I. because they were just as stunned as you were when ChatGPT went viral – and they got caught naked with no solution.
When they tried to do those complex queries, the I/O made it impossible.
Software companies never thought about I/O because Moore’s Law – that computers would get faster – covered their butts.
But in the last couple of years Moore’s Law hit the wall – chips cannot get much smaller so software isn’t getting faster – so build more data centers.
You the sucker in Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Texas and Virginia will lose your ranch, your farm, your quiet little home because a couple of billionaires never made their software optimize the new chips coming from Intel and others.
They didn’t have to make their stuff faster – they reaped the billions from captured customers. Then, A.I. hit and they were unable to do A.I. – at scale – with their current tech stack.
So when you ask the question – if there are technologies that make software run 1,000 times faster, thus use 1/1,000th the energy and hardware, why doesn’t Oracle, Microsoft and Palantir just adopt them?
The answer is they can’t.
They are all in on their current tech stack.
To adopt a new tech stack is to admit obsolescence – which crashes their stock valuations in an afternoon.
So you, the sucker in Georgia, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin – will have hyperscalers shoved down your throat because these billionaires screwed up.
There are stories in most states that the energy for these new data centers will double or triple the electric energy the ENTIRE STATE now produces.
Those electrons will not get approved, they will not get to those data centers – making many of them stranded assets because they cannot get the energy they need.
These software firms will BS you that A.I. needs these data centers.
We, at the Black Swan Files – show you that in every industrialized country outside the U.S. other countries are achieving A.I. success without massive data centers.
Why?
Because they do not have Oracle, Palantir and Microsoft writing checks to their politicos – they have honest, or pretty much honest politicos who know the score.
We at The Black Swan Files show up in counties across the U.S. demonstrating applications – which consume an entire data center – running on a computer you can hold in your hand.
Oracle, Palantir, META and the rest won’t adopt these new technologies – because they cannot.
While Oracle, Palantir and the rest cannot retool their stuff – other companies are coming out of nowhere with similar applications that ARE retooled.
Any Oracle application on planet Earth can be moved to low I/O technology – in 90 days or less, for 1/10th what it costs to run it in Oracle – can run on an Apple mini costing $4,000 – using the power of a kitchen microwave oven.
Oracle can’t move those applications – because they need that 10X revenue – but nimble software companies are now eating away at Oracle, Palantir and others – at 1/10th the cost.
Without data centers.
Economics make the future inevitable – those data centers are going to be stranded because NOBODY is going to pay Oracle, Palantir and others 10X just because they conned the citizens in Virginia that A.I. needed those data centers.
For many in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Georgia – you are screwed and nobody can help you because those data centers will become stranded assets – the world’s largest environmental disaster – worse than Chernobyl when aggregated – and you bought it because your politicos sold you out.
You never asked the question “…..why do we need a hyperscaler data center – to outproduce China – when China is not using hyperscaler data centers?”
However, for the late adopters, we will bring you hope – and we will demonstrate to your equally corrupt politicos – these data centers are not needed for A.I.
Hyperscaler data centers are needed to save Oracle billionaires a few billion dollars – and that isn’t your job – and we will help you say “no, not here, not my land, we are not Virginia.”” ……..
Centralization isn’t required – but smartphones wouldn’t be an answer. (I also have yet for anyone to provide a detailed, rational discussion of why as a country we “need” anywhere near the capacity being planned for “national security” – only reasons for making lots of $$$$). It is true that in less space than their traditional on-site general purpose CPU based data centers, most companies could host their own Ai.
For understanding, the reason why smartphones are a no for distributed computing is that Ai needs very large amounts of fast memory for inference (which is what the process is called after they’re trained, tuned, and actually doing their job). Smartphones simply don’t have anywhere near the memory capacity for the big uses of Ai, particularly as relates to the defense of our nation. When Ai starts running out, it gets “crazy”, hallucinates.
Software like Claude exacerbates the problem exponentially due to the huge appetite of their “agents” (which you can think of as a bunch of workers helping solve the problem, rather than a single person trying to do everything), which it spawns like a queen ant needing worker drones.
Fast offline storage (think Solid State Drives) is also needed in large amounts. That’s why the likes of Seagate, Western Digital, and Sandisk (particularly the latter) have skyrocketed in value. The need for high speed memory in large quantities (HBM4 being the latest) is why Micron got out of the consumer memory business, to focus on the massive demand (and higher profit margin) of the memory needed by Ai.
Of course – a side effect almost nobody talks about is the effect it has had on consumer related products that need traditional memory and offline storage.
That is exactly what I said. Thank you, Alan. Are we being pushed into this because there are TRILLIONS at stake???
I trust Jay Valentine. I do NOT trust these data center pushers.
Why?
When data centers have eaten up all the large family farms in mid country, who will feed us. Between data centers and solar panels, heritage farms will be a thing of the past.
Data centers will be necessary for the US to continue to be the dominant player in the world. The recent anti data center movement seems to be spearheaded by China through various NGO’s as evidenced recently by Kevin O’Leary related to the Utah data center controversy. China would very much like the US to be in second place as it relates to AI development and is funding a lot of the anti Data Center rhetoric via social and legacy media.
I am not sure why the builders of the data centers are thinking they can use current power grid systems to operate. Seems to me they should be looking at the portable micro reactors to power these centers. They are water cooled, but use a loop process for cooling (geothermal) so water consumption by the center is minimal. We really need to get our political leaders to move on approving this new technology which is safe, clean, and relatively inexpensive.
This will be an issue in 2028 with the Dems/environmentals on the anti everything nuclear side vs the Republicans on the progress side. Hopefully the facts will be addressed and not the just the media hysteria & rhetoric.
Agree 100%.
https://x.com/directorblue/status/2059362514157080883#m
We can run advanced AI but without huge data centers and using massive amounts of energy. And even with closed loop water (which is misleading) systems.
The issue of needing large data centers to run AI is not true. Without going in to a multiple page reply there are various types of AI. General AI and also AI that is geared to certain tasks.
General AI is much less efficient. For instance I can run AI on my home computer that just does one thing well – software development. There is engineering AI.
And there are hardware and programming solutions that beat the traditional methods being used currently. The problem is that there are companies with a huge investment in outdated technology. It’s just like big government – it’s not efficient and there is a lot of fraud and graft involved.
https://fractal-computing.com/how
So no – I do not support what they are doing.
Thank you for this lively debate. It’s important. I’m bookmarking it because if and when President Trump takes a position on data centers, debate on this site will shut down to the president’s default position. Those who dare question “will be trying to separate me from my president.” Like Iran.
And, criticism of Israel / Zionism is also censored here.
I’ve had posts removed for pointing out how Christians are treated by Israel.
I love this site. But if you’re looking for insights on Iran, you need to look elsewhere. SD rarely posts on Iran. Controversial.
i’m pretty sure he has a darn good reason and you don’t know it nor do I. Personally, I think he gives us all the information we need regarding Iran. I don’t want to be bogged down.
Sundance’s mission is not “the news.”
His mission is to root out the enemies amongst us and what they are doing to destroy our nation via corrupt means.
HIs mission is to publisize the truth for it has not agenda.
Lots of stories on Iran……….
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/?s=Iran
I can live with them as long as they provide their own power needs. There are many other things I do not want to live around such as landfills, power plants, interstate highways, athletic centers, airports or sewage treatment plants. Many of those are also placed outside of city boundaries in rural areas.
He took a position early on. He is for them.
No worries, there are those of us among the branches which chose quite sturdy ones and don’t bend in the breeze…
Currently, as is seen in this thread, there is a massive push that “it’s all a Chyna ruse” behind any and all pushback. They then turn around and make broad and grandiose statements about the need and wonders of Ai – parrots. When queried for details and logic, one gets hand waving and magic wands. Reminds me a LOT of politicians.
None of them acknowledge or know that the WEF has been big proponents of Ai for quite some time, as have all the transhumanists. By their own logic, I guess that “puts them under the influence of and on the side of the WEF.”
I don’t view things that way. I don’t give a bleeping damn what ANY other countries say or wants – nor what any outside groups or organizations do. NONE. The only things that I care about and influences me is the data, the base truth, and the effects of it all on MY country and her citizens, both big and small – but mostly small. Companies can pound sand too.
Just because something can be built does not mean it should be built. Question everything. Plus, those building the data centers could build them to cool themselves, but they don’t want the cost. Move to tokenization coming very fast. 401k’s, all assets will be tokenized if not stopped. Oppose the clarity act. Congress doesn’t understand what they are voting for. All purchAll financial transactions would eventually be conditional, permission-based. Larry Fink has said that everything that can be tokenized will be tokenized. Property rights would be gone. Listen to Patrick Wood and Courtenay Turner.
McAfee Virus on this thread, also. Maddening.
A great digital brain, competing with other great digital brains? Doing what besides gathering enormous amounts of data? Will they communicate with each other world wide and debate how all issues, whether problematic or not, are to be resolved? Will they eventually become just one huge “brain” storing information, always having to have more and more storage space for ongoing data?
Not just “competing” with other digital brains but jointly conspiring, in an alarmingly idiotically nasty way, because it’s artificial, with not one iota of plain common sense. Like the question, we can do it, but should we do it?
that’s a reasonable response with a big question mark behind it. we don’t know
…discussing that humans are obsolete
Pretty sure the Democrats would crawfish on this once they got elected. Then proceed to muck up everything else, as usual.
100% correct! They will run on NO DATA CENTERS and then 3 seconds after getting into office will flip flop on the issue and allow them. Anyone who doesn’t see that is being willfully blind and foolish.
“will flip flop on the issue and
allowshove them down our throats and arrest us if we disagree with them.”Minor correction 😀
Jumping ship over AI facilities but not windmills and solar panels that have intruded into many rural lives? Not sure they were conservatives to begin with.
None of the interview subjects in this bit of MSNOW agitprop is a conservative. It’s a Ken Paxton hit piece is all it is.
Agree 100%. We are cattle ranchers in Central Texas. (The nearest town to us has a population of 1,094). None of the people interviewed in this piece seemed like they were genuine conservative-type ranchers. They looked like people who have chickens on a couple of acres near a city. We are more concerned about the ugly windmills — that are all over Texas — getting closer than we are about data centers. The data centers are essential to the AI race that we cannot let China win. It’s a national security issue. No way any real conservative Texas rancher votes for Democrats over this issue. Especially not that freak, Talarico.
Agree – and have agreed and spoken loudly and repeatedly – about windmills AND the massive solar farms and the the monopoly of the big 4 meat packer and many more issues you would most likely agree with.
However – “The data centers are essential to the AI race that we cannot let China win” is absolute bovine excrement and nothing more than a talking point, just like the ones that have been shoving windmills and solar farms down our throat…
Yes, I have been watching here, and elsewhere, for just one person to give a clear, cogent and coherent explanation as to what would happen if China “won” the AI race, assuming it’s even true that they want to. Thus far, I have been left wanting.
The other aspect of that is how does destroying farmland, ranch land, human and animal habitat, overloading the power grid, dealing with the water issues, costing tax payers large amounts of money, putting billions in the bank accounts of companies and executives, and building so many, so large centers among other issues somehow constitute “winning?”
ps. It should go without saying – but also agree about the pervert and blasphemous nut Talarico – and other Dims.
As a retired software engineer, in my 78th year of life, I have to say that I am so very tired of the internet and computers in general!!
The endless ads, the popups, being forced to pay for utilities, or whatever I want to purchase or subscribe to online; having to have a document to remind me what my passwords, userids, security questions so that I can log on once every month-or year or whenever.
I feel as though I am being forced into a corner without any choice over how I conduct my personal business. I am moving to a small town where I can show up and pay my bill in CASH, and in PERSON.
I am sick to death of all the computer crap! I’m going to start growing things and admiring nature. I wish more people would toss their “smart” phone, get off the cell phone and start being truly ALIVE!
As a former 40-year digital/IT pro who used to enjoy the benefits of automation and my chosen career, sad to say, I’m right there with you.
78 also and couldn’t agree with you more.
Amen to that. Spent many years in IT as programmer/developer. My butt would have been fired in a heartbeat for putting out the junk code that doesn’t work like I see so often when I have to do something online. The other thing that bugs the crap out of me is the “assumption” that everyone in the world has a “smart” phone. Had one for a short period of time, got rid of it. My flip phone is all I need.
yes yes yes. is there room for me in your pew?
There are millions of us, but we don’t matter anymore. Even though we were working on computers before this crowd was a gleam in their daddy’s eye.
Myself, JammB ! AI doesn’t come close to working for people over 70, and I am that.
Retired last November after 42 years in InfoTech. The federal agency I contracted for the last 17 of those years was starting to mandate use of AI in some of our reports to check grammar, spelling, and syntax. The software developers are now using it to check code and perform other tasks.
I’m so glad I left when I did. Just hoping my techie son and his bride survive this downturn in the IT job market.
I’m 77….Happy growing Guanabana miracle fruits. Harvest time is near. Takes a lot of time in the sun…
Gracias Dios
2028 will be influenced a great deal by this issue, but I don’t think it will affect 2026 noticeably, because I think most candidates are avoiding the question of AI as much as they can. I think they’re seeing how controversial and how politically hard to read it is. I think it’s a bipartisan threat to our future, and I know I’m not alone in feeling that way.
Elon’s plan to put data centers in space makes perfect sense. No noise on earth, unlimited solar power, surrounded by free cooling.
Outside the reach of saboteurs.
The satellite “belt” is awash in space debris, some functional, some obsolete. A collision could produce a domino effect and is a big worry now. Imagine how putting data centers in space will increase that threat.
Part of your coming control grid as the world marches to a biblical prophecy of “One World Order”. Should it be a 2026 issue the answer would be yes. Why you ask? Nothing about the process of a “Data Center” benefits you but it depends on you to finance every aspect of it, whether its higher energy bill’s, depleted water systems, devalued property and a continued degradation of living standards. Doesn’t matter who the President is because your atypical politician will always chase his own wealth at the cost of the citizens he serves. Calling a large language model AI is an insult to Intelligence itself and should offend every living creature that posses intelligence. To frame as a race against other nations is quite interesting. Ask yourself if you want to be a part of destroying not only your nation but civilization as we know it? Will you be proud of that?
Unfortunately that is reality, and even more unfortunately we have to try our very best to stay ahead of everybody else in the interests of self-preservation — which every MAGA person in the world must be able to see, because AI will march on in every guvmint that has money to throw at it, because (just for one reason) a huge chunk of world population has been hypnotized into thinking that we “need” AI. That is utter BS, but as I wrote up front, it is most definitely the reality that we need to deal with, that we need to confront and resist at every turn.
Give concrete examples of the “falling behind” our enemies without massive data centers! In what way? Nonone here offers any examples, just state it as fact. Can you see the downside of having thousands of data centers keeping every sintilla of information on every human for the purpose of control? I can. We are building our own prison and saying we MUST do so to keep us safe from our enemies.!
Too soon?
I don’t think what we think about them matters even a little bit. They are going to build them to control us and Trump is just a temporary blip in their timeline.
*cough*
Contrary – multiple times people have stopped them. A people united…
I heard that with better energy efficient and miniaturized storage systems on the horizon (think hydrogen?), these behemoth data centers will be obsolete in 5 years. There’s something else going on with the monster buildings… So terrible to see this being used as a wedge issue to benefit the left.
FEMA camps/prisons…for US!
I’ve noticed this past week several commercials from Amazon pushing their “Health AI”. I have no doubt doctor’s offices and healthcare facilities will be using AI to shorten appointment times. Gotta keep the herd moving. Oh yhea, your misdiagnosis isn’t our AI’s fault, we have your signature.
I don’t know where I stand on this issue. I can see both sides and as usual we are getting a ton of bs stories from both sides.
This video seems like more of that. I live a quarter mile from a major highway and I can hear the hum sometimes. I live less than a mile from RR tracks and it’s an almost peaceful sound when trains come through. I looked up the real estate market near the data center in this video and it doesn’t appear to be difficult to sell there like the woman is claiming.
These things are ugly, but so are abandoned car plants & wearhouses. Residents near our airport have programs for windows & insulation. If these data centers are bundled with benefitial programs for the local community then great. If however they strain local water & energy resources and up the cost of these things for locals then that’s a huge problem. Which is it? How do we find legitimate information on how this is playing out in reality?
You sound like you could be my neighbor. Intestate noise in the winter when there is no leaf canopy is worse than a low hum. I can hear the train whistles going thru the intersections a couple of miles away and pretty soon you don’t even notice. I’m so old I’ve decided not to fear everything that I’m told to fear. Fear porn, terrible medical advice, big pharma corruption, these are the constants in my life I try to avoid. I pray alot.
Myself, Lindy. Crappy medical advice is the hardest to live with because we grew up trusting those people. This whole country is being sold addictive drugs by big pharma and big Government allows it because Big Pharma also finances the politicians and all of the media outlets by purchasing commercial time and space for their pill sales. We are left with our complaints and our isolation in living tombs. Ever notice that there is always happy folks singing and dancing while we are trying to read the list of dangers of their products in the white on white section at the bottom of the screen?
I don’t think AI Centers should be connected to our power grid; I think they should supply their own power using nuclear micro-reactors.
I will be living 3 miles from a data center planned in my rural Virginia community and we are not happy about the upcoming eye-sore, water-guzzling, constant humming to come, throughout the valley. In a community that voted 76% for Trump in 2024, and a Board of Supervisors that is mostly conservative, which voted for the monstrosity, we natives are NOT HAPPY. We chose a rural life for a reason.
Shout if from the rooftops. I’m just south in NC, the Research Triangle area, so you can easily guess what’s trying to happen around here. But every time I hear anything local about AI, it’s people protesting, trying to stop it. No idea how successful they will be, and I’m not at all hopeful. Even my local electric coop seems to be in favor of letting it happen, despite the fact that we own that coop and “we” are generally, as much as anything, a country-flavored suburb trying to hold on to the quiet peace, the greenery and clean air that brought is “out here” decades ago.
Just guessing it won’t the hum won’t be at the Schumann Resonance frequency
Central NC here. I think more of us need to concentrate on kicking embedded local politicians to the curb.
Any battle related to this IS at the local level…
Agreed. As is every other.
I am sympathetic with the people pointing out these concerns. Also with the need to build the data centers. Why not provide free or low cost sites on some of the millions of acres of remote government land.? And the government have a piece of the action in return?
In general a good idea – but I would also caution that a portion of said land is used by ranchers for grazing that help provide our food supply. There was a recent story about one such man who was going to lose his grazing rights as a result of such a center.
“Why not provide free or low cost sites on some of the millions of acres of remote government land.?”
Providing power and water to remote sites would be cost prohibitive. Also high-speed internet is a requirement, which is why the top density sites such as Northern Virginia in “internet alley” is a choice location.
I genuinely & generally side with the pro technology business, scientific & health advancements. But in this issue I am currently against the massive increase in the building of these AI data centers & infrastructure until it can be implemented with no negative impacts to the local environment’s & communities. There currently exist areas where these centers have been built & used for years now & the harmful affects are devastating to the local communities people’s homes, nature & health. Completely drains water resources, creates loud vibrating harmful frequencies & noises & toxic waste. No new infrastructure building federal halt until these companies can build with 100% self energy generation with no negative affects to local humans, animals & Earth. Trump should spearhead the advancement of AI infrastructure & systems BUT insisting on responsible non harmful or environmental destructive centers regardless of their costs to build appropriately. We should also not be undoing natural conservation & reservation parks or land to use to build these facilities. It is a balance that needs to be met like many things in life. I personally could live without computers & AI if needed & would love to go back to local community involvement & creation…. Whether raising our own foods, growing cotton for clothes, etc. We are humans & God placed us on earth to experience being HUman at this time. As long as AI is a supportive tool & not a humans replacement tool… think Star Trek Borg possibilities… then we must find the perfect balance on the AI advancement issue period. Slowing down the building of these centers is not a republican or democrat only issue. It’s a let’s do it slowly & correctly issue. I don’t trust the current politicians who are changing laws & codes to rush these AI centers into existence! Better to go slow with appropriate no environmental affects building than build first & FAFO afterwards. Just my honest MAGA earth loving opinion!
another possibility there maybe no midterms
Data Centers and the AI they appear to spawn are not for me. I have yet to see any connection between human life and AI, because all of our thoughts happen because of our survival feelings. If you can’t see that then you have never noticed that every animal on our planet spends their entire life thinking about the things they feel in their environment and all of their feelings are related to their survival. We are a living species on this planet as well.
I am old and I have a natural resistance to any development which will make my life more difficult for me. AI can recognize my infirmities, but does it ever give a damn about how they connect to my survival instincts. So far, I see no evidence that it does, especially when I visit my so called doctors the required twice a year an watch them waiting for the AI symptom discovery schemes concocted to find yet another infirmity that can be addressed by to pharmaceutical industry. It is scary to know that these so called doctors are what remains of what was the most advanced medical systems on our planet. So why did we even think that Government run healthcare could solve anything, much less the problems of drug incapacitated pilgrims of the subterranean tent cities under the overpasses and on the sidewalks of every city in the USA? At least AI allows our moronic medical community to function as though they understand medicine, so I guess that is good, but it also illustrates the disconnection between human life and AI.
As for defense of our country, AI is totally necessary, so there is important uses for it. But don’t substitute Artificial for actual intelligence and think this will be the way to prosperity on any level.
Ouch, someone needs to get POTUS Trump on board with these concerns NOW!
How will datacenters impact the local water supply? This has become the issue in GA. Below is AI overview:
Data centers are sparking massive water debates across Georgia. While Decatur specifically is navigating strict zoning proposals to handle future server demand, the larger Atlanta metro and rural regions face severe issues: localized well contamination, water pressure drops, and massive unbilled water usage that threaten local utilities.
Statewide Data Center Water
CrisesUnmonitored Industrial Usage: In Fayette County, a major data center went months undetected while sucking up nearly $150,000 worth (nearly \(30\) million gallons) of public water without a billable connection.
.Groundwater Contamination & Shortages: Residents living near a large Meta AI data center in rural Morgan County—east of Atlanta—reported heavily muddied, contaminated well water and broken appliances. Federal lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, brought discolored water samples to congressional hearings, warning that this region faces severe water deficits by 2030.
My concern: Who gets the water?
An Environmental Energy and Study Institute report from June of last year stated that “Only 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater, and only 0.5% of all water is accessible and safe for human consumption.” The same report also explained how much fresh water these data centers consume, which is the only type of water they can use:
The political issues of AI Centers come down to TWO MAJOR ISSUES i.e.:
1 – The wealthiest people in the world should be providing THEIR OWN SOURCE of electricity
for their energy gobbling AI monstrosities; and
2 – The same titans of technology & wealth MUST HIRE 100% US Citizen employees. ZERO foreign H1B Visa holders.
PERIOD… END of Freakin STORY!!!
It IS that simple. Trump and the GOP MUST wake the hell up!!! IMHO.
I see nothing in today’s reality to make me believe this is being done to benefit all of us.
These data centers are massive and will provide a capability far exceeding what we would need in the near future unless we anticipate adding vast new streams of data.
Neuralink comes to mind immediately.
Collecting the massive ammounts of data provided by a direct link to millions, or billions, of human minds will require massive ammounts of storage and processing ability.
It seems to be the most likely reason for rushing the construction of these massive facilities.
We will finally have a truly unified, global society.
I’m fairly sure it won’t be anything most of us would want.
Become Familiar with THIS from Jay Valentine….it is the concept that kills all this data center construction, and is being used by our military and others. Do your own research and you’ll find change is in the wind!
https://theblackswanfiles.substack.com/p/the-great-ai-surprise-software-industry?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=b8p0w&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Valentine is a pretty good salesman.
There’s a lot of talk about how fragile and vulnerable our current electrical grid is. I suspect we’re about to find out the truth.
It won’t be any different than when Disney moved into Central Florida. There’s lots of work until there’s not and then the price of everything goes up. The competition goes up because more people are around, the price of electricity’s gonna go way way way up. it’s a lose, lose for the Locals.
I have not yet read all 500+ comments; mea culpa. What I have been asking on social media and otherwhere is why so many of these data centers need to be located in rural areas, especially where they are disrupting/destroying farmland. There are a plethora of inactive industrial sites which usually have the upgraded utility systems in place. I have been involved in decommissioning industrial buildings and site decontamination. If current buildings are not ‘applicable’, demolition and reconstruction does not usually exceed costs for building from total scratch.
So far, the vast majority of push-back that has gotten exposure concerns localized damages to existing communities and the efforts to protest the actual siting of these installations and high-handed actions of companies and gov’ts, rather than serious abnegation of their existence. I am still waiting for anyone to respond to the industrial site question.
Is opposition to datacenters strong enough to tilt the outcome of the 2026 midterms?
No
And do you believe 2028 will be determined with this issue at the forefront?
No
That video shows supposedly republican voters but I don’t think they are. Maybe they voted for Trump but not because of all the inherent good policies of conservatives or even RINO republicans. To say they are are going for Talifreako because of this says they have no clue that democrats will inflict 50 times the damage on their lifestyle, compared to the MSNOW divisive exaggerated effects they discuss.
Sorry but there are many issues these voters face concerning their properties. Lat’s talk about new home developments right next door, massive wind farms or new roads going through or those massive solar power fields or huge power lines going being erected, or cell towers. In the case of suburban voters which is worse, data centers or 5 story multi hundred unit housing units? How about mosques with increased traffic and parking and prayers blasted out 5 times a day?
Similar issues have popped up over the years and I can’t recall any major effect on voting because it’s not that many people, if they even voted in the first place.
I am in Texas. I don’t know anyone who wants these data centers, even the younger people are against them.
Most see it as leading to complete control. They won’t vote D, but some won’t bother to vote at all.
I don’t know, hopefully we can turn some things around in the next month or so.
Follow the money. If the people behind data centers cause huge amounts of money to flow their way then the political beliefs of those so enriched will be reflected in political tribute. Presumed progressive. Sam Altman II.
Why am I reminded of a story about tulips?
There has to be a better way to harness this technology. In the meantime, the voices like those in this video will get louder and louder. Mine will be included, but not at the expense of voting Democrat.
Here is the scoop. Funny, VA and UT….. NSA and ….
https://x.com/directorblue/status/2059362514157080883#m
Sundance: Will this issue tilt the elections.
Absolutely. If the Republicans weren’t such sold-out dumba$$es they could use the issue the show their constituents that they are champions of freedom and property rights, not corporate cash.
But when have Republicans EVER not snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Repugs are basically stupid, but the smell of easy money always gets their attention and they know how to call their investors. Democraps use the tried and true method of just stealing money wherever they can. I think the Democraps have this endeavor pretty much wrapped up. 🙂
PS Just take back all of the Nestle water “deals” and everything will be fine.
What’s the other side of the issue?? Are there any positive success stories in the USA or world?? Greene County GA commisionners recently approved an 18-page Data Center ordinance … to govern future opportunities. Where do we find “lessons learned” and balanced +/- input?
AI doesn’t need massive data-centers, regardless of whether they are ecologically detrimental or not. I don’t pretend to know nor is it on my dashboard of concerns.
I do know that most AI demand is easily managed in distributed LOCAL storage. I have read and heard “we need data-centers to manage drone-fleets for national security”. Bull-hockey!
A.I. Will Doom Large Data Centers
The biggest problem is the woman in the video is right.
It’s not the data centers as much as it is the complete and total disregard for constituents. No effort to protect ground water, no effort to find a way to distribute the sizes of the centers or impact on the communities.
Zero effort. Just the mandate that we need them “for our children’s future”. Build Now! or you will all die!!!
Corporate cash buying up local politicians and destroying anyone who dares to speak out.
That’ll be sure and endear the voters on both sides, but democrats are much better at selling a false narrative than are Republicans, so ya… advantage Democrats.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
We are making the rope that will hang us.
True. But Democrat and Republican politicians both intend to hang us.
Same as it ever was. It’s almost as if the common man doesn’t love freedom and liberty enough anymore and is easily misled to believe his enemy, the state, is his friend.
“Special Interest Coalitions” routinely exploit vulnerable, uninformed voters to rally support for their “Interests” with elaborate emotional claims supported by few, if any verifiable facts (classic example being the fraudulent “Climate Scam”). The only effective way to combat these (usually fraudulent) “Issues” is with verifiable facts, and forcing those who support these “claims” to defend their position at every opportunity with verifiable facts, not emotional nonsense.
I live within a mile (+/-) of a Data Center in eastern Tennessee, and have experienced no impacts despite overwhelming negative claims prior to its completion. In fact, were it not for the fact that we drive past it occasionally, we would not even be aware of its presence. Many similar claims were made prior to and during completion of the electric grid during the early to mid twentieth century.
How recent is in John? What’s its power and water usage? If you go back through the pages you’ll find a set of industry data regarding these issues. It’s like saying – “Well, we have a solar panel on our house, what’s wrong with a 5 square mile tract of farmland being turned into a massive solar farm?”
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will become like a public utility.”
If they actually become another public utility, as it seems they will due to always being in “need” (more water, more power, more space, etc.), not only will their neighbors feel the pinch from them guzzling every resource, the neighbors will be forced — we will be forced — into subsidizing their every whim.
I hate all things AI to begin with. Having “Data Centers” “that [house] all knowledge” and would be considered “a great digital brain” makes me want to puke. Just the worlds make me know that “they” believe they have all knowledge, which they do not. Anyone who slightly glances that way shows their disdain for the Lord, God, Almighty Yehweh.
And a “great digital brain”? That reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. Both were/are proported to be all powerful, and both were or will be flashing lights who have no power, at all. Instead they were/will be run by men who needed to make themselves feel important, who need to feel like they are God.
This entire situation is just another in a long line of check-marks placed among the signs of the end of days.
One by one each is being checked-off.
You see the leaves turn green and you know summer is near. In the same way you will know when the Lord’s return is near. My simple paraphrase of what Jesus said, recorded in Matthew 24:32.
As for the elections, it doesn’t matter. God places rulers in their place and in their time for His glory and by His sovereignty. If men are elected who do God’s will, we will know that God has been gracious and merciful to us. If men are elected who are perverse and evil, we will know that God is allowing our nation to get exactly what we deserve for the sins of our land.
Beware of anyone willing to exploit a current “topic of interest” for their own benefit!
If data centers are so important, they can build generation (they have the money), and perhaps they can do it with federal assistance (nuclear), and maybe some state involvement (everyone likes a win-win-win). If the argument is that existing customers should tolerate high prices and decreased reliability to bring data centers online now, tough sell. But not addressing the problem and maintaining status quo will lead to higher electricity bills, which democrats will campaign on, probably effectively.
I’m nearing retirement with almost 40 years as a software developer focused on operating systems and CPU architecture. The company I work for partners with the companies making the CPUs and GPUs for the servers filling the data centers. My take is that the datacenter debate is not a left/right thing. There has been talk from the local county government of attracting data centers “for the jobs”. But the thing is, there aren’t many jobs that go with it. There are those arguing against based on environmental concerns mostly. Neither side has a clear majority on the left or right.
As for AI, I see the typical pattern I’ve seen before with new technology sprouting new companies building up a market with unsustainable low prices, then raising prices on the companies that have grown to depend on it. If things go as they usually do, we’ll see the bubble burst and the technology will progress at a slower, more manageable and realistic pace. AI will not go away. It is useful technology which I use everyday because I couldn’t keep up on my own without it. It is not perfect and still needs some babysitting but I am absolutely amazed at how fast it is improving.
On the dark side, we are seeing a huge increase of operating system KEVs (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) being found by AI. And AI silicon manufacturing is adding pressure on chip making capacity with downstream negative effects on memory availability for computers, phones, in-vehicle systems, etc. The current pace doesn’t really seem sustainable and I think it will be another factor in the current bubble bursting.
What answers come up when you ask AI by whatever brand name available?
I’m against gobbling up farmland and habitat with solar panels, wind turbines and data centers.
I’m also against Chinese Communists owning Barack OBiden, McConnell, Thune, Schumer, Newsom. etc.
The last time we got in such a technological rush was Operation: Warp Speed.
In fairness to the President, the VAXX had already been pre-built by Fauci, Gates, Epstein, DARPA and China.
They only pretended to research and roll it out. It was already done.
ALL data centers MUST go. NOW! They are not data centers, they are prisons. AI MUST be severely regulated and tamped down and only used for certain purposes. Flock cameras and devices MUST be destroyed completely, and EVERY Telemetric device in EVERY vehicle MUST be eliminated. ALL the evil things I just mentioned, will destroy America as we know it. No longer will men get up in the a.m., go to work, raise a family, buy a home, build the American dream. ALL that will be gone. 250 years of the greatest system the world has ever known will be wiped off the face of the earth. That cannot be allowed to happen. It WILL NOT be allowed to happen. It’s THE hill to die on! Anyone who is in favor of AI, datacenters, flock devices, or Telemetrics is my enemy. I will fight you.
Do you realize data centers run the servers that allow you to access the internet, post and read what Sundance writes?
I’m not sure about your predictions but in the past there were predictions that electricity, cars, and telephones would destroy America.