Discussion on AI Revolution's Impact and Data Center Opposition
This opinion piece discusses the historical fears surrounding technological advancements, comparing the current AI revolution and its reliance on data centers to past concerns about automation and automobiles. It highlights public opposition to data centers, including a specific proposed project in Box Elder County, Utah, due to environmental impact questions. The author concludes that despite legitimate worries, the long-term prognosis for new technologies is often positive, creating more jobs than they destroy.
Opinion editor Jay Evensen of the Deseret News explores historical fears surrounding technological advancements, drawing parallels between the current artificial intelligence (AI) revolution and past concerns about automation and the automobile. He cites Harvard economics professor Richard Cooper, who noted a recurring societal "panic" over technology destroying jobs, a pattern evident from the cotton gin to the internal-combustion engine. While older industries and jobs were displaced, new technologies historically led to the creation of many more new occupations, a lesson often forgotten.
Evensen applies this historical context to the modern AI revolution, emphasizing the large data centers that underpin this technology. He notes that former President Donald Trump acknowledged the need for better public relations for data centers. The article highlights a growing public opposition to both AI and data centers across the nation, specifically mentioning a proposed data center in Hansel Valley, Box Elder County, Utah. This project faces significant local opposition fueled by legitimate questions about its environmental impacts and liabilities.
The author acknowledges the valid concerns, particularly regarding job displacement and the potential for AI misuse, as articulated by Susan Lund of the McKinsey Global Institute, who suggests up to 375 million people globally may need to learn new occupations. However, Evensen maintains an optimistic long-term outlook, echoing the historical pattern of new jobs emerging from technological shifts. He also stresses the importance of thoroughly vetting the environmental impacts of data centers and guarding against the potential for AI to be used for nefarious purposes, such as generating disinformation at scale.