Why Everyone Hates AI Data Centers

Galaxy Brain

The Atlantic

Technology

4.5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 May 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Data centers are quickly becoming the most polarizing buildings in America. On this episode of Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel speaks with the reporter Jael Holzman about the backlash to the buildings powering the AI boom. Why have data centers become controversial? What are the environmental, economic, and political impacts? How does the backlash track along left/right party lines? This episode demystifies the data-center fight. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	AI, AI, AI, AI, AI, AI, you got it.
0:05.0	Cut through the AI noise with AI solutions from PWC, so you can solve the business problems that matter most.
0:13.0	PWC.
0:15.0	Right, home from work, walk the dog, kids are back,
0:19.0	Up the stairs for something.
0:22.6	Ugh. Back down. No idea what I went up for.
0:26.6	Mom, what's for dinner?
0:28.6	Chop, sizzle, done.
0:31.6	Hello Fresh can't slow life down, but it makes bringing everyone together around the table a whole lot easier.
0:38.5	So its phones down, forks up.
0:40.6	Hello, Fresh.
0:41.6	Bring back dinner time.
0:47.7	The conversation around data centers is easily a pain sponge, but you've got to wonder where that water is
0:55.2	coming from and what that sponge really is made of. Because what that sponge is made of
1:01.1	is so many local conflicts stitched together. I'm Charlie Warzel and this is Galaxy Brain, a show where today we're going to talk about the most polarizing buildings in America, talking about data centers.
1:18.2	Data centers have been around for decades. They've been powering much of what we do online, but the AI boom has created this ravenous need for more computing power.
1:31.4	And in the process, something extraordinary seems to be happening.
1:36.7	People across the political spectrum are coming together in opposition to these data centers.
1:40.1	The AI backlash has galvanized people like Bernie Sanders and AOC.
1:43.0	They've proposed a data center moratorium in Congress.
1:45.2	But also the populace right, where figures like Steve Bannon are arguing that tech elites who are investing billions in the AI infrastructure
1:49.9	buildout are, quote, totally out of control. Most notable, though, is the reaction from regular
	...

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