“The American People Really Hate Data Centers” by Zvi

There are at least five different core questions around data centers and their politics.

1. In what ways are specific concerns people raise about data centers legitimate?
2. In what ways are specific concerns people raise about generative AI legitimate?
3. Is it in general a good idea to build more data centers?
4. How can we get America to build more (or less) data centers in a better way?
5. Why do the American people increasingly really, really hate data centers?

This post focuses on question five, the latest in a series of such posts most famously Jasmine Sun's road trip.

It is mostly not about the first four questions.

Table of Contents

1. The American People Really Hate Data Centers.
2. Transmission Lines Are The Control Group.
3. Thesis: People Mostly Dislike Data Centers Because They Dislike and Distrust AI, Tech Companies, Big Money And Building Things.
4. No It's Mostly Not the Messaging About AI In General.
5. No This Mostly Isn’t An Op.
6. No This Isn’t Luxury Belief or Moral Panic.
7. A Lot Of People Really Do Want To Stop AI.
8. A Lot Of Other People [...]

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Outline:

(00:55) The American People Really Hate Data Centers

(02:20) Transmission Lines Are The Control Group

(03:05) Thesis: People Mostly Dislike Data Centers Because They Dislike and Distrust AI, Tech Companies, Big Money And Building Things

(04:30) No It's Mostly Not the Messaging About AI In General

(09:42) No This Mostly Isn't An Op

(10:54) No This Isn't Luxury Belief or Moral Panic

(12:55) A Lot Of People Really Do Want To Stop AI

(13:45) A Lot Of Other People Are Voting No On Tech Or The Man Generally

(16:25) Locals Feel Entitled To Heavily Tax The Gains From Construction

(20:59) Stupid Mistakes Like NDAs Don't Help

(21:25) People Don't Like Building or Building New Tech

(24:42) What About The Real Physical Concerns?

(26:27) Find A Place To Center Your Data

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First published:
August 24th, 2026

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/EDKw7KyonrvskqZ7o/the-american-people-really-hate-data-centers

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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