POLICY · REGULATION · #2531
Paris Marx's Hyperscale surveys global resistance to data centers amid AI-driven demand
In an interview tied to the release of his new book Hyperscale, Paris Marx traces historical and contemporary opposition to data centers—from US water fights and Irish moratoria to protests in other countries—and warns that surging demand from generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) is accelerating contentious buildouts, including dedicated gas power plants. He also raises uncertainty about what happens to extensive new infrastructure if an "AI bubble" reassesses demand.
KEY POINTS
- In an interview tied to the release of his new book Hyperscale, Paris Marx traces historical and contemporary opposition to data centers—from US water fights and Irish moratoria to protests in other countries—and warns that surging demand from generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) is accelerating contentious buildouts, including dedicated gas power plants.
- He also raises uncertainty about what happens to extensive new infrastructure if an "AI bubble" reassesses demand.
- The piece links AI-driven infrastructure demand to tangible local energy, water and regulatory conflicts, using international precedents to signal risks for US policy and communities.
WHY IT MATTERS
The piece links AI-driven infrastructure demand to tangible local energy, water and regulatory conflicts, using international precedents to signal risks for US policy and communities.