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It was only back in May that Ben Thompson and I recorded an episode of Sharp Tech titled “Much Ado About Data Centers.” That was a fairly comprehensive look at the brewing backlash to building local infrastructure to sustain the American AI ecosystem, and three months later, our conversation looks quaint. I’m amazed by how much more widespread the anger has become, and how quickly it’s happened.
This has, needless to say, become a messy topic, with a bunch of relevant details to wade through. At the end, though, I’m going to explain why I’m less alarmed by the long-term implications of this fight than most of the tech community seems to be. I think the speed and virality of the backlash reflects the internet’s role as its primary driver, and social media-addled political movements tend to be less durable than moral panics of the past (compared to, say, 40 years of opposition to nuclear power). But before we get there, let’s survey the chaos.
Midterms and Moratoriums
Midterm elections are upon us, and data centers are now a political flashpoint all over the country. As the New York Times reports:
