It's Time to Topple the AI Oligarchy

The fight to halt data center construction is gaining steam—and it’s part of a broader effort to make artificial intelligence work for the public that gave rise to the technology, rather than a billionaire elite.

By Miles Kampf-Lassin, In These Times

Screwworms feeding on cattle across the South, tainted vegetables spreading a parasite causing explosive diarrhea, smoke from wildfires poisoning the air and President Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran surging gas and grocery prices. All would be enough to label summer 2026 a time of crisis in the United States. Still, it’s been made far worse by the brutal heat waves plaguing much of the country, with record-setting temperatures making spending time outside nearly unbearable for large swaths of the population.

It’s a trend that’s been continuing for years and shows no sign of stopping: Every summer is getting hotter, longer and more intense as fossil fuel-spawned climate change warms the globe at an unbridled rate.

Now, the pace of these impacts is being accelerated by the rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the energy-guzzling power plants being built to fuel their usage, which Trump has been fervently working to expand. In addition to sucking up water, blaring loud noises, driving up utility bills, straining electric grids, polluting surrounding areas and generally being a nuisance to local residents, AI data centers are having deleterious environmental effects. And facing this deluge, Americans are responding with a clear message: ​“Hell no.”

According to a recent Gallup survey, more than 70% of U.S. residents oppose the construction of AI data centers in their areas — a figure crossing partisan lines — and a majority of those opposed say it’s because of environmental concerns. After all, why would you want a massive facility that dampens your quality of life built in your own backyard? But the concerns go beyond just personal burdens. Respondents also expressed alarm at the broader vision of how AI is being administered, with a billionaire class dictating the terms of a potentially life-altering new technology while working people pay the steep price.