One of the most pressing questions facing the Canadian public right now is one that most people will have never been asked before, which is: are we techno-optimists?
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we → face → that
The answer to that question will influence a number of ballot-box issues in upcoming elections related to artificial intelligence and the data centres that support its expansion.
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that → influence → expansion
It will also determine whether Canada embraces the coming tidal wave of change brought about by AI enough to have some control over its direction and share in its spoils, or if we are simply battered about by the forces of AI.
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we → determine → AI
While it’s been around for a while, the phrase “techno-optimist” was popularized by Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen a few years ago to describe those who believe that the future is friendly and that technological progress will be a force for good.
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progress → popularize → good
It doesn’t mean you ignore legitimate concerns.
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you → mean → concerns
AI pioneers and executives themselves warn about the potential for catastrophe if things go off the rails.
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things → warn → rails
But the techno-optimist believes that these are obstacles to overcome, not reasons to reject the future.
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these → believe → future
And we’re at risk of turning against it.
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we → ’re → it
A wave of anti-AI populism has flared up across the United States, with hundreds of municipalities banning data centres and over a dozen proposed state-wide bans.
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hundreds → flare → centres
The trend has moved up here in recent months, with protests and calls for bans in some Canadian cities.
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trend → move → cities
Mississauga, Ont., has just enacted a one year moratorium on data centres as incumbent politicians who were previously in favour of them now trip over themselves to say who is more opposed to the facilities as they seek re-election in the October municipal election.
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they → enact → election
It’s beyond the scope of this column to break down all the concerns about them — and the rebuttals by data centre advocates — but the claims include that the facilities use too much energy, too much water, will be intrusive and noisy and cost the taxpayer in the form of subsidies, handouts and increased energy rates.
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facilities → ’ → subsidies
Some of these complaints are fearmongering, some are legitimate and can be addressed.
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some → address → ?
And address them we should, because there are costs to missing out on welcoming such mega-projects.
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we → address → projects
Canada is at risk of repeating the mistakes we made in letting our oil and gas sector be vilified, setting us back by more than a decade in developing key projects and enjoying their economic benefits.
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sector → repeat → benefits
The public is exposed to plenty of arguments against data centres.
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public → expose → centres
But they’re not encountering many arguments in support of them.
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they → encounter → them
There is an entire subculture of Silicon Valley podcasts that present compelling and optimistic visions of the future of AI and its infrastructure.
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that → be → AI
But they remain a subculture and aren’t filtering down into public consciousness to sway broader opinion.
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they → remain → opinion
Because politics is downstream from culture, what the average voter thinks about an issue heavily influences policy.
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thinks → think → policy
A politician who supported something one day can pivot the next to chase the mood of the electorate, as the Mississauga example shows.
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example → support → electorate
One of the most detailed and spirited defences of data centre expansion in Canada hasn’t come from an AI company or tech podcast, but from the province of Alberta.
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One → come → Alberta
Premier Danielle Smith’s government recently launched an online explainer that breaks down what data centres are, how they will and won’t be constructed, along with facts and data to tackle residents’ concerns.
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they → launch → concerns
“AI could add US$15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and every dollar of it will flow through a data centre somewhere,” the explainer notes.
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explainer → add → centre
“Refusing to build them would not make AI go away.
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AI → refuse → them
It would just mean the jobs, taxes and investment land somewhere else, while Albertans keep using digital services powered by someone else’s economy.”
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Albertans → mean → economy
The highly readable document presents the province’s policy journey as heavy-lifting that can now be copied by others: “Some (jurisdictions) let data centres connect faster than new power could be built, and household bills rose.
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bills → present → others
Some handed out billions in tax breaks,” the explainer adds.
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explainer → hand → breaks
“Alberta spent two years studying those mistakes and wrote rules to prevent them.”
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Alberta → spend → them
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also sees it this way, recently calling opponents to data centres “misinformed.”
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Ford → see → centres
Ford’s government has just launched its own data centre policy framework that follows Alberta’s path.
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that → launch → path
The federal Liberal government’s national AI strategy also aims to seize the moment in data centre creation.
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strategy → aim → creation
However, it’s written more for stakeholders and industry than the regular reader.
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it → write → reader
But polling shows the public is divided.
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public → show → ?
And opposition is strongest at the municipal level, where local politicians are pressured to say no to future projects.
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politicians → pressure → projects
Which way will we go?
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we → go → ?
Let’s go the techno-optimist route and embrace the future. To be successful at that, AI advocates need to get louder and recognize they are within a window of opportunity that can be hijacked by noisy opposition if they don’t move fast.
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they → go → opposition
Anthony Furey is a former journalist and past Toronto mayoral candidate who now works in corporate consulting.
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who → work → consulting
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