33 Comments
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David Balfour's avatar

Data centers utilize enormous amounts of energy and water and are remarkably wasteful of these valuable resources.But before these data centers are even considered being built,we the people, need to have conversations about how we are going to integrate AI into our lives and what guardrails are being created to protect us.

Rafi Simonton's avatar

Dr. Ed Wenk, my mentor, was the first science and technology advisor to the U.S. Congress. In 1970, he set up a program at the U. of WA that was an amalgam of engineering and sociology for the purpose of training people to evaluate what kinds of tech, for what purposes, and who makes the decisions. As if we should consider the common good. But then he was an old New Dealer and he thought in those terms.

Maria Gifford's avatar

Absolutely 💯 Maine where I live is dissing Data centers !! I’m so proud of this stand .

Yanah G Cook's avatar

Thank you for sharing this great revolt of the working class people against the AI machine makers spoiling our rural communities!!

clinton & susanne hollister's avatar

Wow, two days of good news in a row! First, the monstrous Viktor Orban loses his dictator job in Hungary, and now this. Georgia is a bit behind, but that could change in November. David is right: we need to be part of the decision making. Like so many technologies, AI could presumably be used for the good of humanity. But it should never, ever take our humanity away!

Carolyn Wallace's avatar

Amen -- from a Unitarian Universalist.

Robert's avatar

"But it should never, ever take our humanity away!"

AMEN, Bro & Sis

Patricia DeVea's avatar

So correct you are!

carolyn semiglasow's avatar

Timely article Jim. On 13 April, the City Council of Columbia, MO (where I now live) put zoning restrictions and specific Data Center definitions in place to help prevent these horrors from proliferating here. Another Missouri town, Festus, just fired half their Council members (incumbents) because they did not listen to the objections of their citizens and they approved a Data Center there. Gov. Mike Keho loves these abominations and has purportedly "nudged" members of Planning and Zoning Commissions to support them.

Amrita B's avatar

Good to hear from central Missouri! Smiling half way across the state from Kansas City.

Robert's avatar

Being 88 y.o. and of failing memory, I've come to depend more and more on search engines. I searched on this string (occasions when the resistance of The People won) and came up with a number of sites, including this one https://examples-of.net/identify-the-examples-of-collective-resistance/

When it's The People vs. The Bullies, it may take a while but I'll bet on The People

Rafi Simonton's avatar

I did click the link and read the list. Great examples! Thanks.

Robert's avatar

Thank you. The search revealed many such lists. I wasn't sure which would contribute to this discussion and which were just jabber.

Deanna J Marquart's avatar

This may be nothing more than hubris on my part, but I do not like having AI thrust upon my email without having to ask me first whether I want its help -- and I definitely DON'T want its "help." Not exactly the AI data center problem which is the subject of today's post from the Lowdown ... sorry about hitchhiking on your vehicle, Mr. Hightower.

Paul thomas's avatar

You have brought up the best thing we can do against a.i. data centers don't take it's help . I get a lot of a.i. stories on my Google news algorithm. I don't click on them or the a.i. overviews. Thanks for being part of the solution.

Rafi Simonton's avatar

I hate those, too. The assumption seems to be we're too hyper or stupid to comprehend any more than a few words. If asked "was this helpful?" I enter NO. If a space for further comments, I say GO AWAY. If repeats, I say DROP DEAD. It has gone away and my fervent wish is that it did die.

clinton & susanne hollister's avatar

Henceforth, we will adopt these responses. To heck with Southern politeness when you are dealing with a robot!

Paul thomas's avatar

I have never gone that far with a.i. but your exploits sure remind me of screaming at hundreds of automated telephone answering systems. The inventions of theze systems make a good case against technology, also agood case for capital punishment, so these technologies can never agravate humanity again

Michael Tanouye's avatar

We must use, protect, promote those data centers: schools, libraries, bookstores. ✌️

Rafi Simonton's avatar

Must have been a shock we nobodies can read, write, and think. Even worse, organize.

These techno-libertarians are against government; they don't need public services and to them, it's merely obstructions. They're the best and the brightest so they expect rest of us will defer to their decisions.

Sandra's avatar

Huzzah!! Magic City Books rocks!!!

Murray Smart's avatar

More examples of Billionaires taking advantage of Americans to stuff their pockets and use and abuse the places they extract their pounds of flesh from. With not a care to the damage they will do.

Brian Rohrenbach's avatar

How about asking Ai to recommend a candidate for president? See where Trump would rank?

Howard Mielke's avatar

I support public schools, universities, trade schools, libraries, bookstores, writers, and the list goes on and on. AI is unvetted and not trustworthy.

RoseW's avatar

This opposition is very good news!!!