cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/44996161
March 25, 2026
The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democratic representative, on Wednesday morning, aims to ensure the AI boom protects the environment and communities, and benefits workers instead of harming them. A temporary ban, the lawmakers say, would give the US government time to create strong federal safeguards for AI, which is “affecting everything from our economy and wellbeing to our democracy, warfare and our kids’ education”.
“AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity,” Sanders said in an emailed statement. “The scale, scope, and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts.”
Around me it’s not so much that the data centers use so much that it raises the price for everyone. It’s that the state government wants their business so bad that it has agreed to raise the prices of utilities (water and electricity) for everyone living around the area to subsidize the operational cost of the datacenters. Our electricity bill is up 30% from 2024 and most of the datacenters are still under construction
I really don’t get the kowtowing to data centers in particular, like I get it if they’re payed off properly but when they aren’t then why? It’s kinda like the Noah’s Ark BS in Kentucky where the locals gave Ken Ham the fucken world and it’s brought in basically no runoff business. Why do local politicians do this, for all the money they waste on shit like this they could create local grant programs and spin up a bunch of local businesses.
Because too many people in the US only vote once every 4 years in national elections and don’t pay attention to their local ones.
I meant why do they do this without the pay side of things. I get corruption since it directly benefits the individual but without that its just stupid. There’s no gain and you risk making yourself a target if folks get pissed off enough.
They would have to be paying attention enough to notice, first. Sinclair and others steadily gobbling up local tv and radio stations has created local news deserts across the nation.
People notice their power bills and the horrid white noise these things make. Frankly speaking the propaganda only does so much, and just not acknowledging it does nothing towards the narrative.
I only found out about our county trying to sneak a data center in after the plan had already been withdrawn. They were working on all of it in closed meetings but fortunately some folks found out and when they brought it out in the open where the community would see, it quickly disappeared. Now we’re all on watch for when they try this shit again.
Fucken A. Good for you and your lot, frankly the only way such a situation could go any better is also illegal.