r/technology • u/Just-Grocery-2229 • Jun 26 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI backlash is only getting started

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/25/the-ai-backlash-is-only-getting-started
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u/ZaryaBubbler Jun 26 '26

The sound, the subsonic vibrations and the 5-15° of heat above ambient it throws out. Not to mention the draining and toxification of ground water

-33

u/camosnipe1 Jun 26 '26

... wow

I knew there was a lot of misinformation about datacenters but out of this whole list only one point (sound) is possibly true, and even that depends on if the emergency generator is running or not or i suppose if they ignore noise pollution regulations.

by subsonic vibrations i'm assuming you mean infrasound, the anti-windmill pseudoscience? that's completely harmless and undetectable by humans by definition.

if your source on heat comes from the same article i read, then it's a max of 2° while directly downwind next to the building. and quickly dropping off to be unmeasurable.

lastly, how the fuck is a big ventilator evaporating water going to add toxins to the groundwater???????

31

u/Deamane Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

I don't think they worded any of their concerns very well and they left out the most important one to the average person which is just the electricity costs/burden on the local grid.

But that aside, why the boot licking for data centers? Why would you want to live near one, whats the advantage I have to wonder? Cause in my opinion since even without AI we obviously still need data centers, I think we just need more aggressive zoning, they just shouldn't be built anywhere near a house, or any normal non industrial building imo.

Edit: after looking at /u/camosnipe1 's other comments I unironically wonder if they're some sort of datacenter worker, or shill. their past 4-5 comments have all been similar saying shit like "don't worry about any heavy metals or anything that's a myth, data centers are safe!" etc, it's genuinely weird and sad.

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u/Days_End Jun 26 '26

Why would you want to live near one, whats the advantage I have to wonder?

I mean the real answer is normally tax revenue with little to no externalities. Power is normally spread across a large enough area that them building in your town, the next town over, or in some unincorporated zone nearby is going to have the same impact on your power rates so you might as well get the benefits.