The real reason people hate AI data centers so much

When I shared my predictions for AI in 2026 earlier this year, I snuck in a one-sentence nugget that turned out to be surprisingly prescient: “In 2026, I expect a populist backlash against the fact that data centers’ voracious energy demands are raising electricity rates for everyday people.” I was right to flag the problem. But even as an AI expert, I failed to predict its scope. People hate AI data centers. They’ve been blamed for high electric bills, but also air pollution, odd...