Data center proponents generally argue that the facilities will provide jobs and sustain the American lead in the global AI race. Opponents, meanwhile, urge that the infrastructure projects are associated with dangerous pollution, spiking energy costs, and loss of natural land. And then, of course, there’s the noise.
“We don’t need a data center in a community, let alone two hyperscale data centers in a community of less than a population of 12,000 people,”
What will future people think of us? These data centers? Will they think of them like temples? Were temples pre-historic data centers? Hm, “this silicon god is heartless and soulless.”
They’ll probably think of us the same way we think of all the Romans other than Nero who watched him play the fiddle while Rome burned. Metaphorically in that case, but we’re actually engaging in silly, entertaining distractions which are burning the world, instead of putting out the fire.
Actually, maybe they’ll think of us as an entire society of Neros.