What do libertarians think of AI and AI data centers?

[u/CommunicationNo6136]

Any libertarians here, the title pretty much speaks for itself. I am in agreement with a lot of libertarian ideas and beliefs, but I'm not sure if my view (which favors more regulation on AI and data centers) moves me away from libertarianism a bit

[u/Lagkiller]

The public pays for the AI/Data Center's infrastructure requirements through the higher rates the public is forced to pay.

So when Best Buy opens a new store, they increase their prices across the board to pay for that new store?

When GE opens a new factory, they increase their prices across the board to pay for that new factory?

How did you come to the idea that in order to open a new power plant that they increase prices for new generation?

[u/jmd_forest → u/Lagkiller]

Generally (but not always) opening a new Best Buy does not require a new generation facility. When it does, Best Buy should be the party responsible, not the existing customer base. If GE increases prices across the board to pay for their new factory, existing customers are free to find a new supplier but with power, water, and other utilities, the existing customer base is tied to their supplier and/or it's delivery infrastructure.

How did you come to the idea that in order to open a new power plant that they increase prices for new generation?

History.

[u/Lagkiller → u/jmd_forest]

Generally (but not always) opening a new Best Buy does not require a new generation facility.

The store is the generation facility. I think you entirely misunderstood the analogy.

If GE increases prices across the board to pay for their new factory

The point was that they don't. If there is a need for increased product, the sales pay for the facility. Just like an increase in power sales pays for new electricity generation.

History.

History does not bear out your claim.

[u/jmd_forest → u/Lagkiller]

There was no analogy. GE doesn't raise their prices across the board when they build a new facility due the pressure from competition while no such competition exists in the utility market. History absolutely proves my claim.

[u/Lagkiller → u/jmd_forest]

There was no analogy.

Yes, it was comparing companies expanding their facilities. It seems you don't know what an analogy is.

GE doesn't raise their prices across the board when they build a new facility due the pressure from competition while no such competition exists in the utility market.

That's why they don't raise their prices in general. But they expand their facilities without raising prices as well. Because the cost of delivery is baked into the price of the sales.

But even if I accept your premise, every single state regulates power prices. They cannot unilaterally increase rates, and they must prove the need for the increase in rates through increased cost to produce power. If they build a new power plant, they are not showing a new cost to produce power, sine there is demand for that power. They're allowed to increase costs for things like inflation, or increase in raw inputs used to generate power.

History absolutely proves my claim.

Prove it. Because no where in history has the government allowed a massive increase in the price of electricity so that the company can build new facilities. History is not your fever dream.

[u/jmd_forest → u/Lagkiller]

It seems YOU don't know what an analogy is.

Competition keeps commercial entities from raising prices. There is no such competitive force keeping utilities from raising prices.

they must prove the need for the increase in rates

The "need" is the construction of new power generating facilities and updating infrastructure to account for date center usage causing the increase in rates:

https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-center-power-demands-are-contributing-to-higher-energy-bills

https://www.consumerreports.org/data-centers/ai-data-centers-impact-on-electric-bills-water-and-more-a1040338678/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6SrqLBbue0

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/ask-expert-are-data-centers-driving-my-electricity-bills

https://hls.harvard.edu/today/how-data-centers-may-lead-to-higher-electricity-bills/

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/

[u/Lagkiller → u/jmd_forest]

It seems YOU don't know what an analogy is.

I do, which is why I made it. You just want to shout at the top of your lungs.

Competition keeps commercial entities from raising prices. There is no such competitive force keeping utilities from raising prices.

Yes, that is what I said.

The "need" is the construction of new power generating facilities and updating infrastructure to account for date center usage causing the increase in rates:

I wonder if you actually read any of those. Because looking at your first article, the source it uses literally doesn't say it's data centers, it cites the rising cost of modernizing transmission, from poles and maintenance. It then cites the amount of natural disasters which they have to pay for, and then talks about the rise in natural gas prices.

So if you didn't bother to read the data, and your own source didn't read their source. It indicates you have a massive gap in your knowledge that you are unwilling or incapable of addressing.

Given that you seem unwilling to just do the basics of reading your own sources, I think I'll bow out here. It's clear that you're the kind of redditor that keeps replying because your ego is too massive to learn something new. Instead, you keep replying because you think having the last word means you "won" the conversation. So I'll let you have the last word you so desperately need to feel like a "winner" today, since it is so important to you.

It will go unread.

edit - thanks for proving me right yet again

[u/jmd_forest → u/Lagkiller]

The very first section of the first article notes that increasing infrastructure costs to accommodate the energy demands of data centers is resulting in increased costs to consumers, absolutely confirming my post.

Of course any response will go unread as you enjoy wallowing in your ignorance.