The Data Center Conundrum

Opinion Columnist, who reported from Kentucky and Norway for this essay.

Seven out of 10 Americans oppose data centers in their communities, according to Gallup, and they have good reason to be wary of artificial intelligence and all that comes with it.

The data center debate sometimes is contested in the weeds of electricity prices, water supply and nondisclosure agreements, but more broadly it’s a proxy for distrust of A.I. and of the companies getting rich from it. America’s working class suffered brutally the last time we rapidly retooled the economy, a quarter-century ago, and today’s workers are........

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