Links To Left-Wing Organizing Network Confuse Humans First’s Conservative Branding
Humans First, a self-proclaimed conservative movement leading nationwide protests against AI data center development, is facing scrutiny for its alleged links to progressive organizing networks and individuals. This comes as Texas grapples with growing concerns over data center impacts, leading San Marcos to ban data centers and state officials to address issues like power grid strain and water usage. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is expected to reevaluate how costs are passed to consumers.
The article investigates Humans First, a self-described "conservative social movement" that has organized protests against AI data center development nationwide. Despite its conservative branding, researchers like Parker Thayer from Capital Research Center have linked Humans First to progressive organizing networks, specifically Action Network, which partners with groups such as Black Lives Matter and the Sunrise Movement. Cody Sargent of the U.S. Department of the Interior also noted Humans First's apparent involvement with former organizers for Kamala Harris and the Sunrise Movement, raising questions about its ideological alignment.
Amy Kremer, a longtime conservative organizer from the Tea Party movement and co-founder of Women for Trump, leads Humans First. The organization’s protest guidebook calls for federal action to stop "Big Tech" from building AI infrastructure, claiming it threatens security and liberty. However, the revelations about its operational partnerships and personnel have led some, like Sargent, to dismiss the movement as "climate change hysteria 2.0 led by the same Leftists."
The article also highlights growing scrutiny of data centers in Texas. Texans express concerns about the energy-intensive projects straining the power grid and water supply. San Marcos recently enacted a ban on data centers, becoming the first city in Texas to do so. Furthermore, Governor Greg Abbott has urged data centers to operate in ways that reduce costs for residential electricity customers and conserve water. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is expected to reevaluate how electricity costs are allocated to prevent consumers from bearing the brunt of data center expenses.