- Published
A year ago, a longtime US senator was not thinking much about data centres.
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senator → publish → centres
Now, according to one of his advisers, he is having regular meetings with staff to track their impact and working on new legislation aimed at curbing their rapid expansion across the country.
"This happens sometimes, something starts slow and then it goes fast", the senior policy adviser to the Democratic senator told the BBC.
uncertain
adviser → accord → BBC
The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not permitted to speak to the press.
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they → speak → press
The 180-degree turn in this senator's attention was driven almost entirely by a growing wave of public backlash that has seen politicians across the country scramble to keep up.
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politicians → drive → country
Public sentiment has turned against the expansion of data centres, the large warehouses that store processing power needed for internet activity.
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that → turn → activity
Packed with rows and rows of computer chips, sometimes seven-feet high, data centres have turned into more than infrastructure for the internet.
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centres → pack → internet
They are now the physical embodiment of the recent and explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and the varied fears people associate with it.
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people → associate → it
"I don't want to be the guinea pig for this," Indiana resident Angelita Soriano told the BBC.
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Soriano → want → BBC
A new Amazon data centre is being built directly across the street from her home.
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centre → build → home
When complete, the 26-building structure will take up more than a square mile in her neighbourhood and maintain 782 diesel-powered generators.
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structure → take → generators
In Ohio, a joint effort between OpenAI, Nvidia, SB Energy and the US Department of Energy is set to build a data centre complex that will stretch for roughly six square miles, the same size as most townships in the US.
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that → set → US
There are about 3,000 data centres currently operating in the US, with that number potentially doubling in the next few years, according to a report by, external Pew Research Center.
uncertain
number → be → Center
Data centres are built through very local rules and permits, meaning federal lawmakers like US senators have little say in the process.
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lawmakers → build → process
Yet, opposition has become so strong so quickly in the US that suddenly, politicians at all levels are now all but required to take a stand.
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politicians → become → stand
"This isn't just an issue on the left, there is huge pushback among conservatives to data centres," Chloe Autio, an AI policy adviser, said.
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Autio → be → centres
"Whoever articulates a clear position and sticks to it, in either party, really stands to benefit."
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articulates → articulate → party
Her analysis was echoed by the adviser to the US Senator working on data centre legislation.
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analysis → echo → legislation
"There is a clear policy need here that we're looking to fill," he said.
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he → be → that
"This is a major backlash across the country - constituents are seeing the impacts of data centres and they do not like them."
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they → see → them
That has put many on Capitol Hill - even Republicans - in direct conflict with President Donald Trump, who has championed the unrestrained growth of AI technology.
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who → put → technology
Trump has dubbed the backlash to data centres a "sick conspiracy" and said people and towns working to keep the buildings out are "backwards and poor".
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people → dub → buildings
His ire has been used as a boon to Democratic politicians looking to draw midterm votes from unhappy or undecided constituents.
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ire → use → constituents
The BBC spoke to residents of Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Oregon, all of whom have been organising locally against the development of data centres.
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all → speak → centres
They expressed concerns about many aspects of the buildings, including their size, construction and operational noise, their impact on air, water and energy resources, as well as the speed at which they seem to be approved by local authorities.
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they → express → authorities
During the first few months of this year, community groups organising against data centres more than doubled to 833, cropping up in almost every US state, according to research from Data Center Watch.
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groups → organise → Watch
The firm collects data for AI industry stakeholders and is part of an AI startup 10a Labs.
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firm → collect → startup
Stephanie Maldonado, the political director of LUCHA, a community organising group based in Arizona, referred to the push back against data centres as "a David and Goliath story" that began several years ago.
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that → organise → story
"People have been ready to put a stop to it," Maldonado added.
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Maldonado → put → it
New national polling, external shows that AI regulation and data centres are among some of the top issues for voters this election cycle, behind the ongoing Iran War and various aspects of the economy.
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regulation → show → economy
Proponents of building data centres often argue the projects will create more, and better paying, local jobs.
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projects → build → jobs
Yet, recent research, external from Brookings Institution, a non-partisan policy research group, found that a new data centre creates between 100 and 200 local jobs, which is "fewer than industry advocates claim".
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advocates → find → jobs
The projects also have essentially no impact on local wages.
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projects → have → wages
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs was one such proponent - until public pressure pushed her to the other side of the issue.
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pressure → push → issue
In July, she enacted a three-year pause on any new tax break given to a company for a data centres project.
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she → enact → project
Arizona is far from the only state to see politicians react to data centre backlash.
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politicians → see → backlash
Abdul El Sayed, a Democrat running for Senate in Michigan, made new rules and regulations for data centres a clear part of his successful primary campaign for Senate.
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rules → run → Senate
In the race for governor of Georgia, a Democrat who is calling for a pause on data centre development is in a dead heat with a Republican who disagrees.
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who → call → Republican
Republican Senator John Husted of Ohio, who is fighting to keep his seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, has also had to shift his position.
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who → fight → position
Recent polls, external have found that the majority of Ohio voters oppose data centres.
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majority → find → centres
He has softened his support, saying that their arrival should be up to local citizens and elected officials.
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arrival → soften → citizens
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
