AI Data Centers Coming To Your Town!

 

Do you remember the movie, 'Silkwood,' starring Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood? She works in a nuclear power plant and she notices the company cutting corners in order to get a job out. She allegedly amassed enough information to take to the NYTimes, but on her way to the meeting was killed in a car accident. No paperwork was ever found. It's a truly fascinating story even if the storyline was embellished. I'm not sure how much is true but knowing what I know now about how the way this country works, I have little doubt she and her partner were purposely contaminated with radiation. Although many of the employees were aware of the dangerous conditions of working in the nuclear power plant and witnessed the lackadaisical response to serious issues, they chose to remain. Moving elsewhere was not an option for them. They had family and connections to the town and even if they risked being contaminated or were ordered to work twelve hour days, they stayed.

It's hard to point fingers when people make decisions that baffle me. They need to feed themselves and their family. The pay is probably better than working at a fast food joint or a factory. Most of these people who have few choices are usually unskilled and never went to college. They aren't stupid, they just never had any other options. 

Data centers are popping up like crazy around southeastern Wisconsin. Before I continue, I must add my usual spiel regarding my opinion on AI. I don't have an issue with the concept. AI can be useful. Like everything, people will use it for nefarious means. I don't even care if AI can write a better book, song or create a beautiful painting. Big deal. Get over yourselves. If your work doesn't sell it's not because of AI, it's because your work isn't good enough. The arts created by humans isn't going to die out. That's my opinion. Unfortunately, the impact these data centers have on our environment is the issue. But, I don't know enough to even argue about it. And yes, you can respond, "Well, look it up! Read the data!" I have. It's hard for me to believe anyone. Ask Karen. Oh, you can't. 

I just read an article, here, noting 375 people have been hired to work at the Microsoft data center in Racine, Wisconsin. The center will have a total of 800 employees and they most likely will have no problem filling those jobs. In fact, there will probably be a huge amount of applicants.

Besides a technical college and a small private college in our community where the majority of students come from everywhere else other than Kenosha and Racine, there isn't a whole lot of ways to plan for a decent future here. I've lived here nearly thirty years and had to travel two hours each day to a job in Illinois. This county was built on factory workers, most notably AMC and Nash Motors. This is a town of blue collar, hard working, "good people," who vote red and fly giant American flags proudly. Most don't care about the environmental impact of an AI center. They scoff at electrical cars and solar energy. 

Microsoft and companies like them are fully aware of this. They didn't just decide to build here because of the lake where they will use huge amounts of water. No, they know the people. They know they will take a good paying job no matter the environmental cost because they love their town, their neighbors, the red, white and blue. 

There have been many meetings held where people have protested the rapid development of these data centers. They may as well have been shouting to the moon. The centers had already been decided. There's just too much money to be had. 

We really don't have any idea where AI will take us. For most people that's scary because it's the unknown. It's not going away, but we can continue to make sure our planet isn't raped anymore than it already has been. It's a nearly impossible task when we have the billionaires running this country. We aren't entirely helpless. We've got to vote in November. It's absolutely imperative to our future. 

And watch your back.