How Data Centers Broke American Politics: The Far-Right Revolt Against AI

The article explores the growing movement against data centers in the US, driven by concerns over AI's environmental impact, jobs, and privacy. Reporter interviews Joe Allen, a former rigger turned anti-tech activist, who has become a key figure in the populist right's opposition to AI. Allen, associated with Steve Bannon's War Room, gives lectures nationwide and helped form the 'Humans First' advisory group with the Center for AI Safety. The backlash is spreading: 70% of Americans oppose local data centers, moratoriums have been passed in states like New York, and local protests have led to arrests. The movement is uniting unusual allies across the political spectrum, blending NIMBYism with fears about AI's disruptive potential. The article notes the Trump administration's rollback of environmental regulations to speed up data center development, and tech executives like Sam Altman and Elon Musk becoming targets of public anger. Allen's philosophy includes the 'inverse singularity,' a future where human intellect collapses due to AI reliance. The piece highlights the strange coalition of leftist climate activists and right-wing populists, as seen at a Humans First event at Georgia Tech.