Little Rock residents don’t want AI data centers

Little Rock residents gathered at the Hinton Resource Center to discuss their concerns about AI data centers coming to their community. One resident said, "I don't think a lot of us here, or a lot of residents where these AI data centers are being built, we don't want transparency. We just don't want 'em." Organizer Kathy Wells of the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods said the community needed to learn more about the data centers, including one planned for the Port of Little Rock that sources say is being developed by Google. State Representative Denise Ennett, who represents the district containing both data centers, attended the meeting and shared the residents' concerns about noise, utility costs, and environmental impact. Ennett said she wants "public input and transparency" for the data centers to be beneficial, and is scheduled to meet with AVAIO Digital, the company behind a $6 billion facility near Wrightsville, on March 31st to discuss these issues.