LETTER: AI bubble burst could result in polluted stranded assets

To Ozaukee Press:

Whatever your personal feelings about data centers, the general tide of sentiment is turning against them.

New York legislators just introduced a strict piece of legislation that would put a three-year moratorium against any construction of data centers. Wisconsin is weighing legislation that would put a pause on data center construction while complex issues of land use, water use, electricity sources and who should pay for them and general infrastructure development are debated.

    Data centers serve many masters, not just artificial intelligence, and also help host our online life in the nebulous “cloud.” However, the largest hyperscale data centers often center on the burgeoning use of AI, a helpful technology in limited aspects but one that many experts worry is progressing too fast while simultaneously being overhyped.

     We need to find balance between enjoying the benefits of online technology while not giving up our autonomy and natural resources to serve them; we need to avoid participating in a data infrastructure bubble that may leave us with polluting, stranded assets.

     Port Washington, Janesville, Kenosha, Mount Pleasant—these cities all have proposed or active development of data centers, and there is very little evidence that elected officials have engaged their constituents before moving forward with such proposals. It’s high time for a deep breath, and a step back.

Nathan Dombeck

Janesville