Pope’s AI warnings come as Americans grapple with data center expansions
Pope Leo XIV's recent encyclical warns against unchecked AI development, which coincides with growing public concern and opposition to rapid data center expansion across the U.S. Protests highlight environmental impacts, high energy and water consumption, and limited long-term employment, despite significant state and local tax incentives. Industry representatives, like DataBank, defend their practices as responsible and economically beneficial.
Pope Leo XIV's encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, warns against developing artificial intelligence (AI) in a way that disregards natural resources, human dignity, and the concentration of power. This message resonates as Americans increasingly grapple with the rapid expansion of data centers, which are essential for AI technology.
Public sentiment, reflected in polls, shows significant concern and opposition to local AI data centers, citing environmental impacts, noise pollution, and a lack of long-term employment. Despite these concerns, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has promoted data center expansion, dismissing papal guidance and labeling protests as "foreign-directed propaganda." Catholic scholars, like David Cloutier of Notre Dame and Father Philip Larrey of Boston College, echo the Pope's warnings, questioning the benefits of data center tax incentives for local communities given their low permanent employment.
Data centers consume vast amounts of energy and water, with a report indicating that their national energy consumption could rise significantly by 2030, potentially exceeding 50% in states like Virginia. Judith McGill, VP of Strategic Marketing for DataBank, argues that critics' employment objections are misleading and that data centers provide a net economic benefit, contributing to taxes and schools. She also states DataBank employs responsible environmental practices, such as closed-loop water cooling and experimenting with alternative fuels, aligning with ethical guidelines.
McGill asserts that the industry is unfairly scapegoated for higher energy consumption and rate hikes, and believes their responsible actions are consistent with the Pope's concerns. The article highlights a protest against the proposed 40,000-acre Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah, which is speculated to use 9 gigawatts of power, illustrating the local backlash faced by such projects.