'SNL' takes aim at Kevin O’Leary and his Utah data center: 'I'm going to make the future go away’
Saturday Night Live parodied investor Kevin O'Leary's controversial plan to build a massive data center in Utah. The sketch highlighted local opposition to the project, which critics argue will strain water resources and negatively impact the environment.
Why it matters
The segment reflects growing public skepticism and local resistance toward the environmental and resource-heavy demands of large-scale AI infrastructure projects.
James Austin Johnson portrayed Kevin O'Leary on "Saturday Night Live." Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images "Saturday Night Live" took on Kevin O'Leary and his data center. "These things shouldn't be anywhere. That's why I'm building one in Utah," Johnson's O'Leary said. The real O'Leary is backing a giant data center project spanning over 20,000 acres. AI data centers got the "Weekend Update" treatment on "Saturday Night Live" this week. Comedian James Austin Johnson portrayed "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary on the sketch comedy show, during which he addressed the dispute over the real O'Leary's proposed data center in Utah, known as the Stratos Project . "It's very simple. All I want is to buy up 40,000 acres of God's untouched splendor and replace it with a very loud computer that steals your job," Johnson's O'Leary said. "Is it going to take up precious water? Absolutely.
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