AI: The backlash turns violent

The public backlash against artificial intelligence has intensified, escalating to acts of violence, as reported by The Week. This includes an alleged Molotov cocktail attack and gunfire at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco mansion, which occurred after the alleged assailant posted about 'Luigi-ing tech CEOs'. In a separate incident, 13 bullets were fired into Indianapolis councilman Ron Gibson's home, accompanied by a note stating 'No Data Centers,' following Gibson's support for a new AI data center. The 'Stop AI' movement, driven largely by young people, is expanding into America's heartland where communities are actively resisting large data center developments. Concerns cited include excessive water usage and increased utility bills. Over the past two years, an estimated $64 billion worth of data center projects across the U.S. have been halted or delayed due to such opposition. Maine is reportedly poised to become the first state to ban data centers, while in Festus, Missouri, voters recently unseated local politicians who had approved a data center project, signaling a significant escalation in public blowback.