Tech giants like Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI are putting up hundreds of millions of dollars in this spring's midterm elections to pay for the campaigns of candidates who pledge to back their intrusive, water-sucking, energy-wasting AI schemes.
The AI hucksters claim that AI will save humanity. And it'll advance humanity. It's the cure for what ails us, and for whatever's going to ail us, they say.
Making the hucksters sickeningly wealthy and powerful at democracy's expense is just an unpleasant side effect that might occur. Unpleasant side effects can happen with most cures. But AI will figure all that out too, they say.
Yes, it is bribery. It is bad enough that these billionaires get the benefits. What makes it worse is that the public bears the cost of the data centers. Voting intelligently is essential!
We all need to remember that data centers use (a nice term for 'suck up') massive amounts of electricity and water with little benefit to the communities where they're located. It's as if they think water and electricity are unlimited and that local communities can 'foot the bill' when the tech giants ignore facts -- once again. The owners of tech giants seek only gain for themselves -- no surprise there -- and don't give a rat's patootie for local folks.
Want to effectively resist these schemes? Start at home. Put pressure on local and state governments until they realize their jobs are at stake. Georgia, we are happy to report, has taken a first step to claw back state tax breaks for data centers. Baby steps, but every little bit helps.
Whether blue collar, white collar, or pink collar, working people are being turned into what he calls technoproles--underpaid and overworked. And probably something like 80% or more of the entire human population fits his definition of technoserf--providing for free the data technoroyality is entitled to convert into $ billions for themselves.
Generally I hate it when someone begins making a point with hyperbole so I'm going to try to avoid that. For the most part in my 63 yrs there has been an abundance of evidence that politicians have little courage, with a few exceptions. It seems like courage in the face of the AI data center takeover of our land and water resources is what is called for. Given what happened in Leavenworth KS in regard to allowing a new ICE detention facility that the people DO NOT WANT, I'm not hopeful. Of course the local government is allowing it, in the face of overwhelming opposition by voters. Courage on the part of elected officials is sorely lacking.
We need to make political parties illegal so politicians souls can't be bought at wholesale prices. If people don't want data centers they need to stop buying into the corporate cluster scrumps who are lobbying them. Planet earth survived billions of years without a.i. Just fine, probably better.
Our Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro, who we strongly support, has betrayed us: he claims PA is "AI ready" and will accept these totally unnecessary and rights-violating massive centers if they will create their own electricity. Fine, but not good enough. What about the land, and the waters, especially, they demand so much of? AI Data Centers are for profiting businesses, and they will provide no product, and no service, we civilians and residents need, while stealing and housing all our personal and private information for their use - and abuse. Constitutional Rights of Privacy will be destroyed. Yes, talk it up publicly and locally and regionally. They, the data centers, constitute an egrigious invasion of our lives and our futures. Who will protect us? Who will stop them? WE WILL.
In order to replace warm blooded workers with cool metal and silicone, first purchase state legislators with cold, hard cash. Reality is one dollar, one vote and we have billions.
Why should inferior rural nobodies be able to interfere with the best and brightest on the planet?! Do as we say or get out of the way. We're determining the future.
The AI hucksters claim that AI will save humanity. And it'll advance humanity. It's the cure for what ails us, and for whatever's going to ail us, they say.
Making the hucksters sickeningly wealthy and powerful at democracy's expense is just an unpleasant side effect that might occur. Unpleasant side effects can happen with most cures. But AI will figure all that out too, they say.
Of course they will -- NOT!
AI is intrusive, expensive and dangerous. Pandora's Box on steroids...and these guys are ALL IN.
Yes, it is bribery. It is bad enough that these billionaires get the benefits. What makes it worse is that the public bears the cost of the data centers. Voting intelligently is essential!
We all need to remember that data centers use (a nice term for 'suck up') massive amounts of electricity and water with little benefit to the communities where they're located. It's as if they think water and electricity are unlimited and that local communities can 'foot the bill' when the tech giants ignore facts -- once again. The owners of tech giants seek only gain for themselves -- no surprise there -- and don't give a rat's patootie for local folks.
Sigh -- our little nearly bankrupt village thinks one of these will save us. Duh!
Well, do what you can to let people know the facts. Good luck and best wishes to you.
Want to effectively resist these schemes? Start at home. Put pressure on local and state governments until they realize their jobs are at stake. Georgia, we are happy to report, has taken a first step to claw back state tax breaks for data centers. Baby steps, but every little bit helps.
Amen, brother. Texas electric bills are about to go through the roof!
The bigger questions are, where is all this data coming from, what is it, and what are they going to do with it?
Read Yanis Varoufakis's book /Technofeudalism./
Whether blue collar, white collar, or pink collar, working people are being turned into what he calls technoproles--underpaid and overworked. And probably something like 80% or more of the entire human population fits his definition of technoserf--providing for free the data technoroyality is entitled to convert into $ billions for themselves.
It is a bribe. Too much wealth accumulated by too few
Generally I hate it when someone begins making a point with hyperbole so I'm going to try to avoid that. For the most part in my 63 yrs there has been an abundance of evidence that politicians have little courage, with a few exceptions. It seems like courage in the face of the AI data center takeover of our land and water resources is what is called for. Given what happened in Leavenworth KS in regard to allowing a new ICE detention facility that the people DO NOT WANT, I'm not hopeful. Of course the local government is allowing it, in the face of overwhelming opposition by voters. Courage on the part of elected officials is sorely lacking.
Edward Abbey nailed it the first time. If he was alive to write a sequel, it would also be spot on.
We need to make political parties illegal so politicians souls can't be bought at wholesale prices. If people don't want data centers they need to stop buying into the corporate cluster scrumps who are lobbying them. Planet earth survived billions of years without a.i. Just fine, probably better.
Our Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro, who we strongly support, has betrayed us: he claims PA is "AI ready" and will accept these totally unnecessary and rights-violating massive centers if they will create their own electricity. Fine, but not good enough. What about the land, and the waters, especially, they demand so much of? AI Data Centers are for profiting businesses, and they will provide no product, and no service, we civilians and residents need, while stealing and housing all our personal and private information for their use - and abuse. Constitutional Rights of Privacy will be destroyed. Yes, talk it up publicly and locally and regionally. They, the data centers, constitute an egrigious invasion of our lives and our futures. Who will protect us? Who will stop them? WE WILL.
Check out The End of Reality - How Four Billionaires are Selling a Fantasy Future of the Metaverse, Mars and Crypto by Jonathan Taplin.
Reject and oppose corporate attempts to control AI which is detrimental to citizens regulation of AI for the public good ....not profit.
In order to replace warm blooded workers with cool metal and silicone, first purchase state legislators with cold, hard cash. Reality is one dollar, one vote and we have billions.
Why should inferior rural nobodies be able to interfere with the best and brightest on the planet?! Do as we say or get out of the way. We're determining the future.