Big Tech reframes AI benefits amid $130B data center backlash
Big Tech is switching up its messaging after major public pushback against data centers, which has put $130 billion in US projects at risk this year.
Now, leaders like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg are focusing on AI's upsides: he recently shared that AI could "free up time for the things you enjoy, and help you accomplish more than you could otherwise," hoping to shift the conversation toward benefits instead of risks.
Higgins's data center rebrand faces skepticism
Matt Higgins, co-founder and CEO of venture capital firm RSE Ventures, wants to rebrand data centers with names like "clean-energy optimization centers" or "precision agriculture centers" to make them sound more positive.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is also calling for a fresh narrative to win over the public.
Still, critics aren't convinced: many say AI has already caused issues like fraud and environmental harm, and argue that promised solutions are mostly just ideas so far.