Box Elder County Data Center Fuels Discussion on AI Risks and Resource Use
A massive data center project, announced by Kevin O'Leary, is planned for Box Elder County, Utah, requiring nine gigawatts of power and significant water. Despite local concerns about utility costs and environmental impact, and broader societal worries about AI, the project was approved by the Box Elder commission and endorsed by Governor Spencer Cox. The article uses this project to discuss the potential existential threats and regulatory needs for artificial intelligence.
Billionaire Kevin O’Leary, known as "Mr. Wonderful," announced plans for an exceptionally large data center spanning 40,000 acres in the Hansel Valley of Box Elder County, Utah. The facility is projected to consume nine gigawatts of power, more than double Utah's current statewide usage, and requires substantial water, though O'Leary claims a "closed system" for recycling. Utah Governor Spencer Cox enthusiastically endorsed the project for its job creation, and the three-member Box Elder commission unanimously approved the plans.
However, the immense scale and resource demands have sparked significant public opposition, with residents expressing "NIMBY" sentiments. Concerns include potential spikes in utility bills, health impacts, and noise pollution from tens of thousands of supercomputers, despite the data center's distance from populated areas. Environmental impacts and increased utility costs are highlighted as legitimate local issues.
Beyond the immediate local concerns, the guest opinion piece delves into broader existential questions surrounding artificial intelligence, which the data center is intended to power. The author, Brian E. Preece, discusses dystopian scenarios where AI could threaten human existence, referencing pop culture examples like "Terminator" and "The Matrix." He contrasts these with proponents' views of AI solving global problems and enhancing human leisure.
The article highlights differing perspectives from figures like Elon Musk, who acknowledges a 10-20% chance of AI ending humanity but deems it a worthwhile risk, and Anthropic co-founder Dario Amoedi, who suggests a 25% catastrophic future and advocates for stricter transparency, testing, and export controls. The author concludes that while rising utility bills and water usage are valid local concerns for the Box Elder project, the potential existential threats of AI itself are even more pressing, urging caution and guard rails for the technology.