Why Everyone Hates AI Data Centers
5/29/202643 min
Data centers are quickly becoming the most polarizing buildings in America. On this episode of Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel speaks with the reporter Jael Holzman about the backlash to the buildings powering the AI boom. Why have data centers become controversial? What are the environmental, economic, and political impacts? How does the backlash track along left/right party lines? This episode demystifies the data-center fight. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Speaker 20:02
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Jael Holzman· Guest0:44
The conversation around data centers is easily a pain sponge, but you gotta wonder where that water is coming from and what that sponge really is made of. Because what that sponge is made of is so many local conflicts stitched together.
Charlie Warzel· Host1:05
[upbeat music] I'm Charlie Warzel, and this is Galaxy Brain, a show where today we're gonna talk about the most polarizing buildings in America, talking about data centers. Data centers have been around for decades. They've been powering much of what we do online. But the AI boom has created this ravenous need for more computing power, and in the process, something