Pirate's Cove

The people do realize how much data they are using, right? That a goodly chunk are using AI to do so? And all their streaming? And this that and the other? I guess this is the newest version for NIMBY

Data centers rejected by voters across the country — challenging the AI boom

Voters across the country delivered a sweeping rebuke to data center development in Tuesday’s midterm elections, approving restrictions on the massive facilities that have become central to the AI boom and electing officials who have promised to rein in their construction.

The results pose a new challenge to the building boom that has helped power U.S. economic growth and stock market gains, bringing in trillions of dollars in investments, in addition to a large amount of backlash.

Some 41 measures related to restricting or permitting data centers across ten states were up for consideration in the midterms, with Ohio alone accounting for half, per Ballotpedia, an election-focused nonprofit. In all but one of those measures, voters opted to restrict (or to not approve) data center construction, though four measures remained officially undecided as of Wednesday afternoon. Data-center skepticism crossed party lines, with restrictions passing in traditionally red states like Kansas and Florida, as well as liberal strongholds like California and New Jersey.

Many of the AI-focused measures would temporarily restrict the construction of new, large data centers, while others would restrict their location to industrial areas and place limitations on their environmental impacts. Five of the petitions or referendums approved Tuesday would allow data center construction as long as the facilities used fewer than 25 megawatts. Data centers built for AI purposes often require more than 100 megawatts.

I wonder how many who voted against these measures jumped into their vehicles, put on Android Auto or Apple Carplay, cranked up iHeart Radio or Pandora or Spotify or something, then doom-scrolled while waiting in line, then posted about how they voted against data centers on Insta or TikTok or something.

Across the country, voters also elected candidates — such as incoming Texas Governor Gina Hinojosa — who promised to rein in data centers’ construction or put strict guardrails around their use. NBC’s exit poll found more than half of voters said AI and data centers were “a major factor” in their vote for Congress. Approximately 76% of respondents said that they would oppose the construction of a data center in their community.

She, and others, are aware they used massive amounts of internet data to campaign, right?

Experts and pollsters attribute the backlash to a variety of root causes: frustration with growing income inequality and the billions of dollars tech tycoons stand to reap from AI; worries about catastrophic risks from AI; and more prosaic concerns about noise and health impacts.

Sigh.