Brad Paisley is urging Tennesseans to protest a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo.
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A proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo is drawing pushback from local community members, including 14-time Country Music Award winner Brad Paisley.Paisley called the proposed data center — backed by DC Blox, a digital infrastructure company — a "monstrosity" in an Instagram video on Friday. He compared the development, which he said was unfolding without the permission of residents, to AI stealing intellectual property from musicians."It's without the blessing of those who are going to be affected by it," Paisley said. "Look, Nashville, we have to fight this. We have to set a precedent, because if we can win this and we can stop that from happening where we don't want it, it's a precedent that will help other communities."He added, "I'm calling on our elected leaders to find a solution to this that's going to benefit everybody." Paisley criticized the data center in a separate video earlier this month, calling it an "absolute nightmare scenario."In a statement, DC Blox said it was aware of Paisley's "social media commentary." It said the data center, which would have an eventual capacity of about 50 megawatts, is not intended to power AI. Data centers have been around for decades, hosting data for things like websites and social media. Large AI data centers, meanwhile, typically have capacities in the hundreds of megawatts or more."We want to clarify that the data center is designed to function as a digital connectivity hub and not as a large AI factory," the company said in its statement. "Designed to meet Middle Tennessee's surging digital demands, the data center is part of the essential infrastructure that supports and enables the entire community, from residents to local businesses."DC Blox said such data centers actually help artists like Paisley.
