Global lessons for U.S. data center resistance

Paris Marx’s new book, 'Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires,' highlights global struggles against data centers, offering insights for U.S. opposition. Marx notes that data centers are increasingly influencing U.S. midterm elections, with communities facing energy and water crises. Ireland’s 2021 moratorium on data centers led to grid strain, prompting companies to build gas-powered plants and lobby for private electricity cables. Marx warns of an AI bubble, citing parallels with the dotcom era, where excess data center construction may outpace demand. He emphasizes the need for stricter regulations on data centers and AI products, stressing the environmental and social costs of current infrastructure. New Zealand’s community-led Māori language AI project offers an alternative model. Marx argues that governments must reassess AI’s value, questioning whether current investments justify the environmental and social toll.