Data Centers Know They Have an Image Problem. They're Trying to Fix It. - Newsweek
Data Centers Know They Have an Image Problem. They're Trying to Fix It. - Newsweek
摘要: By
Hugh Cameron
Reporter
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正文
Hugh Cameron
Reporter
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Prefer Newsweek on Google
to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Data centers have been pitched as the indispensable infrastructure undergirding the artificial intelligence transition, and with it, America’s central position in the global economy of the 21st century.
But in a rare reversal of roles, tech developers and their ambitious buildout plans seem at the mercy of local communities and grassroots opponents, who are voicing their opposition even as the country’s highest office touts the facilities as crucial to securing America’s (currently uncertain) technological supremacy.
“Whoever wins AI just wins. It's that big. It's bigger than the internet by many times. It's gonna be bigger than anybody ever thought possible. Not even imaginable how big,” President
Donald Trump
told Punchbowl News in early August, while defending the “most incredible buildings” from what he sees as mistaken opposition to the ongoing buildout.
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“If I were a governor, I would want data centers so badly, I'll cut taxes. I mean, taxes are gonna go way down because this is a tremendous source of income," Trump said.
...
But these supposed benefits and national strategic importance are not resonating with everyday Americans—seven in 10 oppose building data centers in their community, according to a Gallup survey from March. Politico polling found that a smaller percentage (41 percent) would oppose a facility being built within three miles of their home, up from just 28 percent in January.
And such
bipartisan opposition
appears to be translating into legislative action. In mid-July, New York enacted the first statewide ban on data center construction, and over a dozen states, both red and blue, have since weighed similar proposals.
Over 500 localities have now stalled the construction of new data centers, according to analy