Is the shine already coming off ai & data centers?

[dorndawg]

My finger-in-the-wind sense is that lots of regular folks are deciding ai may next not be the next greatest thing. This polling sure seems to back that up. Where are you on it, what are you hearing and seeing?

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

news.gallup.com

 

[85Bears]

Can you tell me the upside here ? Massive depletion of water sources, more power requirements than what it takes to run San Francisco or other large cities, enabling mass surveillance that may erode civil liberties, huge bills to be funded by overstretched tax payers, no popular support, who voted for this ?

what am I missing here ?

 

[champdawg.sixpack]

You use them everyday

 

[eckie1]

My finger-in-the-wind sense is that lots of regular folks are deciding ai may next not be the next greatest thing. This polling sure seems to back that up. Where are you on it, what are you hearing and seeing?

View attachment 1296772

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

news.gallup.com

There’s a massive data center proposed for my area. It’s technically in another city, so I can’t do much about, but that city is fighting it. I hope it gets canned. It would literally be in the middle of nowhere and would make a huge mess.

In my current work role, we are being asked to lean heavily on AI assistants with our code. Since I’m having to learn a new language, it’s been a huge help. But, it can also do some puzzling crap that makes no sense. It is not ready for prime time, but it has been a great assistant. That said, I don’t use it outside of work beside using my Alexa.

I’m hoping the brakes get pumped soon. All these companies laying off humans has to stop.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

Sounds a lot like the latest NIMBY. People want the service but someone else can shoulder the infrastructure.

About half of Americans are now using some form of AI

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Can you tell me the upside here ? Massive depletion of water sources, more power requirements than what it takes to run San Francisco or other large cities, enabling mass surveillance that may erode civil liberties, huge bills to be funded by overstretched tax payers, no popular support, who voted for this ?

what am I missing here ?

That's easy, Republicans.

Not picking or choosing here, just facts. The AI/tech lobby has got them in their pockets.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

My finger-in-the-wind sense is that lots of regular folks are deciding ai may next not be the next greatest thing. This polling sure seems to back that up. Where are you on it, what are you hearing and seeing?

View attachment 1296772

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

news.gallup.com

And this is why we'll never have Skynet.

For one, as amazed at AI as I was when I first started using it, I've been incredibly underwhelmed as I've pushed it to the limit.

Second, the people who think it will take over everything, well......as we can see it's limited by infrastructure.

There was a county commissioner here that lined out how much money his county was getting. Wish he'd come back.

At any rate, it's just not feasible to continue to build these things. The people are pushing back and will eventually riot. Public outcry is about the best and most efficient way to really get anything done these days. I mean it was a question on the PE exam.

 

[MStateDawg]

regular folks are deciding ai may not be the next greatest thing.

Yet all the tech leaders in the world are fully convinced it's the future and thus are investing billions of dollars and betting their company's future on AI being the next big thing. Who do you think is more likely to be correct, the "regular folks" or the smartest tech experts on Earth?

 

[onewoof]

We need 100x more AI than we have now, 100x more growth and investment here in the next 5 years.

 

[40 acres and a mule]

And this is why we'll never have Skynet.

For one, as amazed at AI as I was when I first started using it, I've been incredibly underwhelmed as I've pushed it to the limit.

Second, the people who think it will take over everything, well......as we can see it's limited by infrastructure.

There was a county commissioner here that lined out how much money his county was getting. Wish he'd come back.

At any rate, it's just not feasible to continue to build these things. The people are pushing back and will eventually riot. Public outcry is about the best and most efficient way to really get anything done these days. I mean it was a question on the PE exam.

Apparently just turn off the water, and it fries itself. Problem solved.

 

[Walkthedawg]

Sounds a lot like the latest NIMBY. People want the service but someone else can shoulder the infrastructure.

About half of Americans are now using some form of AI

You know what would be killer? If cities that are crumbling in the delta that has old downtowns, that are dead, pitched an idea to these companies that if they renovated these buildings and upgraded the infrastructure to handle the water needs, they could use space in these buildings for the servers. As long as the bottom floors were at least partially available to people to open businesses for minimal lease. Let the city maintain control of the locations, but give the data companies free space in return for renovations and upkeep.

 

[dorndawg]

Yet all the tech leaders in the world are fully convinced it's the future and thus are investing billions of dollars and betting their company's future on AI being the next big thing. Who do you think is more likely to be correct, the "regular folks" or the smartest tech experts on Earth?

That is a really interesting question.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

My finger-in-the-wind sense is that lots of regular folks are deciding ai may next not be the next greatest thing. This polling sure seems to back that up. Where are you on it, what are you hearing and seeing?

View attachment 1296772

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

news.gallup.com

It's a tool. It should be wielded by SMEs. It should not be trusted implicitly. My take is same as it is on guns and chainsaws. Good if you are hunting or cutting down trees. Bad if you are killing people with them. Just instruments that are useful in the hands of the competent and dangerous in the hands of the malicious or incompetent.

 

[Walkthedawg]

Yet all the tech leaders in the world are fully convinced it's the future and thus are investing billions of dollars and betting their company's future on AI being the next big thing. Who do you think is more likely to be correct, the "regular folks" or the smartest tech experts on Earth?

It's gonna be here or China. We refuse to build them here and then all of our information goes through Chinese servers. Stopping them here is not going to stop AI. It will be built here or overseas. We can take our pick. But better choose wisely.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

That's easy, Republicans.

Not picking or choosing here, just facts. The AI/tech lobby has got them in their pockets.

AI lobby isn’t a D or R issue. There’s politicians on both sides pushing this.

 

[dorndawg]

AI lobby isn’t a D or R issue. There’s politicians on both sides pushing this.

Yep, some county leadership where I am are Democrats who pushed through 2 dc's in a very non-transparent manner. They got their assses handed to them in the recent primary.

With that being said, one need look no farther than the recent presidential inauguration to see today where the top tech oligarchs are aligned.

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

Apparently they're building one in Amory. A chinese company at that. Not a very big center from my understanding and it's creating a grand total of 5 boots on the ground jobs. Most of the jobs are remote. I'm sure they have incentives but I'm guessing the thinking is they'll make the monies off the utilities after the tax abatement wears off.

 

[L4Dawg]

It's coming whether the public likes it or not. What's being said about AI is similar to what was said about a lot of revolutionary techs through the years. Those almost always had detractors too. The detractors in many cases had a point. It didn't matter.

 

[POTUS]

That's easy, Republicans.

Not picking or choosing here, just facts. The AI/tech lobby has got them in their pockets.

Funny because if you look at the donations of the tech guys, it's almost completely to left wing causes. But somehow the right is playing ball with them. It's almost like we don't have two parties, but one.

 

[patdog]

Yet all the tech leaders in the world are fully convinced it's the future and thus are investing billions of dollars and betting their company's future on AI being the next big thing. Who do you think is more likely to be correct, the "regular folks" or the smartest tech experts on Earth?

Often it’s the regular folks. The smartest experts in the auto industry just lost 10s if not 100s of billions rolling out failed EV initiatives that they’ve now cancelled. I could have told them it was a bad idea 10 years ago.

 

[L4Dawg]

Apparently they're building one in Amory. A chinese company at that. Not a very big center from my understanding and it's creating a grand total of 5 boots on the ground jobs. Most of the jobs are remote. I'm sure they have incentives but I'm guessing the thinking is they'll make the monies off the utilities after the tax abatement wears off.

I Googled that. This was all I came up with. Got a link?

Data center project near Armory gets final approval from city just weeks after mayor asks for delay

A controversial plan to build a data center at the planned $3 billion Armory Innovation District in Midtown St. Louis received approval.

www.stlpr.org

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

I Googled that. This was all I came up with. Got a link?

Data center project near Armory gets final approval from city just weeks after mayor asks for delay

A controversial plan to build a data center at the planned $3 billion Armory Innovation District in Midtown St. Louis received approval.

www.stlpr.org

Well, first of all it's not in St. Louis and nowhere near an Armory. . . . .

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Funny because if you look at the donations of the tech guys, it's almost completely to left wing causes. But somehow the right is playing ball with them. It's almost like we don't have two parties, but one.

They definitely flip flop, and ideologically, they likely are left leaning. But like anything they will align based on what benefits them. But this latest push is pretty much all Republican. Maybe it's just timing.

There's no conspiracy or anything. Just how it is.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yep, some county leadership where I am are Democrats who pushed through 2 dc's in a very non-transparent manner. They got their assses handed to them in the recent primary.

With that being said, one need look no farther than the recent presidential inauguration to see today where the top tech oligarchs are aligned.

They’re hitching their ride to whoever will listen.

The Southaven xAI data center is about has hot button as you can get with a very Republican mayor and board of alderman.

Clarksdale is trying to get a data center and they’re very much the opposite politically.

money talks

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

They definitely flip flop, and ideologically, they likely are left leaning. But like anything they will align based on what benefits them. But this latest push is pretty much all Republican. Maybe it's just timing.

There's no conspiracy or anything. Just how it is.

But it isn’t.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

Often it’s the regular folks. The smartest experts in the auto industry just lost 10s if not 100s of billions rolling out failed EV initiatives that they’ve now cancelled. I could have told them it was a bad idea 10 years ago.

It took Tesla 17 years to report a full year GAAP operating profit but they're still around. If at first you don't succeed...

 

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

Often it’s the regular folks. The smartest experts in the auto industry just lost 10s if not 100s of billions rolling out failed EV initiatives that they’ve now cancelled. I could have told them it was a bad idea 10 years ago.

EVs were pushed as a response to climate change fears, but may still end up being viable when it is all said and done. At some point there will be an alternate fuel solution for the vehicles that will be driving us around. AI is more like the internet than EVs. (Some) People thought the internet was the harbinger of the end times as well. AI is coming and ultimately it will drastically change many landscapes in our societies, many for the better, some probably not.

 

[POTUS]

Zuckerberg was completely in the bag for the left. Then Trump is re-elected and he wants to play ball. After having their speech throttled, right leaning politicians with any spine whatsoever would have told him to kick rocks. He's not their friend. But of course, our politicians (on both sides) are literally the lowest common denominator.

 

[CoastTrash]

We need more investment in Mississippi not less. Let's make sure they use the resources (water/electricity) reasonably, but also not blindly reject a huge investment and tax payer in our community.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

Can you tell me the upside here ? Massive depletion of water sources, more power requirements than what it takes to run San Francisco or other large cities, enabling mass surveillance that may erode civil liberties, huge bills to be funded by overstretched tax payers, no popular support, who voted for this ?

what am I missing here ?

I cannot answer all of those issues, but some of those 'issues' have been debunked. As far as water is concerned, of the Big 3 that are going in MS, one uses waste water, one doesnt use water at all to cool, and the other uses a figure of 8% (whatever that means)....ive heard the water addressed multiple (as in dozens) on Supertalk interviews with state and local officials addressing those concerns. The power issue was addressed and there will be no rate increases to local citizens either. You can find all of this information on the Supertalk app with all the interview.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

It's gonna be here or China. We refuse to build them here and then all of our information goes through Chinese servers. Stopping them here is not going to stop AI. It will be built here or overseas. We can take our pick. But better choose wisely.

We regularly farm out environmentally and labor negative tasks to China, but textiles vs data are not the same. I also see these massive data centers like dumps. They may be necessary but I don't want them near me...

 

[leeinator]

AI is not going anywhere. What we going to do.......let China have it and run it for the world? Elon had to take an old existing power plant in Southaven and turn it into the source to power his data center in Memphis. Southaven residents were upset due to the noise and potential increase in KWH rates. What Elon really wants to do is build a mini nuclear reactor near his data center on the river to power it. In most cases, the data centers will generate more power than they need, and they end up selling it back to the local community's power grid. I think it might be best to build these centers away from large population centers and not near residential neighborhoods.

 

[johnson86-1]

That's easy, Republicans.

Not picking or choosing here, just facts. The AI/tech lobby has got them in their pockets.

It'd be more fair to say China is successfully running a astroturf campaing. No different than Russia funding green groups in the US.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

AI lobby isn’t a D or R issue. There’s politicians on both sides pushing this.

From giving a crap about the environment over the $$$'s, the R's are an easy target. The D's may have a few who truly care about the environment but I suspect that it is mostly about keeping the base happy and most of them would gladly take the $$$'s so long as nobody called them out for hating spotted owls...

 

[patdog]

EVs were pushed as a response to climate change fears, but may still end up being viable when it is all said and done. At some point there will be an alternate fuel solution for the vehicles that will be driving us around. AI is more like the internet than EVs. (Some) People thought the internet was the harbinger of the end times as well. AI is coming and ultimately it will drastically change many landscapes in our societies, many for the better, some probably not.

AI will be worse than every gasoline motor ever built for climate change and the environment.

 

[patdog]

Let's make sure they use the resources (water/electricity) reasonably,

We all know they won't. And we won't make sure they do.

 

[patdog]

It took Tesla 17 years to report a full year GAAP operating profit but they're still around. If at first you don't succeed...

And that operating profit has declined for 3 years in a row now, from $13B to $4B.

 

[johnson86-1]

We regularly farm out environmentally and labor negative tasks to China, but textiles vs data are not the same. I also see these massive data centers like dumps. They may be necessary but I don't want them near me...

Why do people give a ****? I mean, if they literally have their house next to the data center, sure, that's not ideal just like it's not ideal to be next door to any industrial and most commercial activities. But outside of the additional trucking during construction and a temporary boost in the cost of employees and probably some local goods during construction, it just doesn't seem to be that big of a deal unless people are scare mongering about water or electricity rates.

 

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

AI will be worse than every gasoline motor ever built for climate change and the environment.

I'm not advocating or arguing that it won't. I'm just saying that comparing EVs to AI is like comparing a wooden club to a machine gun.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Why do people give a ****? I mean, if they literally have their house next to the data center, sure, that's not ideal just like it's not ideal to be next door to any industrial and most commercial activities. But outside of the additional trucking during construction and a temporary boost in the cost of employees and probably some local goods during construction, it just doesn't seem to be that big of a deal unless people are scare mongering about water or electricity rates.

Water, noise, eyesore, traffic and perhaps most important, everything else negative that we simply don't know about yet. People complain about windmills on unused farmland that are right next to communication towers that have been there for decades with no complaints, so go figure.