The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet
Protesters from Extinction Rebellion interrupted a panel discussion on data centers during Climate Week to highlight the environmental impact of AI infrastructure. The incident reflects growing public backlash against the energy consumption of data centers and the industry's struggle to address climate concerns.
Why it matters
The rapid growth of AI is creating a significant environmental footprint, leading to increased scrutiny and social friction.
Welcome to the latest edition of Power Play! From now until the midterms, senior writer Molly Taft will be sharing their thoughts every Sunday on this political season’s hottest issue: data centers. We welcome reader comments, and will be answering questions from the comments section in future editions.
“The idea that we can keep running on fracked gas is a lie!” he exclaimed as security tackled him.
The panel tried to get back to business after the protester was removed—only to be interrupted again when another person stood up. That’s how things proceeded for the next 10 minutes as protesters with the group Extinction Rebellion NYC staggered interruptions, yelling about various harms of AI over the speakers onstage, who tried valiantly to continue their conversation.
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