"Data centers are cropping up across the world in a mad race to provide processing infrastructure deemed necessary to power the AI revolution. Yet governments keep waving projects through without talking to locals or warning residents about potentially damaging impacts like water use or noise and air pollution. That's according to a panel of speakers at this year's Mozilla Festival taking place in Barcelona, Spain - all of whom had investigated data center projects as part of their journalism or activism."
"Paz Peña, an independent consultant and a Mozilla Senior Fellow, noted that big tech companies aren't solely in the crosshairs for criticism - this is down to governments to regulate. "It's not just about holding accountable companies, but government," she said. Peña pointed to a case in Santiago, Chile where the community fought a Google data center via court, which found that the government should have informed locals about the impact on water use."
Data centers are expanding worldwide in a rapid race to supply the processing infrastructure required for AI. Governments frequently approve data center projects without adequate local consultation or warnings about environmental harms. Residents face potential impacts including increased water use, noise, and air pollution. Courts have sometimes ruled that governments must inform communities about such impacts, as occurred in Santiago, Chile regarding water use. Regulatory responsibility lies primarily with governments and companies rather than consumers. Messaging from the tech industry may shift toward consumer shaming, but calls exist for ethical, restrained AI use and stronger corporate and governmental accountability. Data centers are major energy clients.
Read at IT Pro
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