Big Tech’s next major political battle may already be brewing in your backyard
The push by companies like OpenAI and Google to win the artificial intelligence race has led to a proliferation of data centers — giant warehouses for computer systems — in communities across all 50 states. The rise of these server farms has sparked fierce battles from the Virginia suburbs to Tucson, Arizona, and beyond, as city and county governments grapple with how to balance job creation and new revenue streams against the strain data centers put on water and energy resources. That debate is inching up the ballot as state lawmakers race to regulate a nascent industry, governors rush to embrace a new economic boon and Big Tech makes major investments in AI growth.
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