Opinion: Data center opposition linked to anti-vaccine movements in North Dakota
This opinion piece discusses a forthcoming TED talk that will explore the public reaction to artificial intelligence and the activism against data centers in North Dakota, linking it to past anti-vaccine and anti-5G movements. The author notes that organizations involved in anti-data center events, such as Health Freedom North Dakota, previously opposed vaccines. The article highlights how fears about AI are being channeled into physical protests against data centers.
Rob Port, an opinion columnist for Forum News Service, announced he will be giving a TEDxFargo talk on July 29, focusing on artificial intelligence and the public's reaction to it, particularly the fierce activism against data centers in North Dakota.
Port intends to draw parallels between current anti-data center movements and past opposition to vaccines and 5G technology, noting the presence of groups like Health Freedom North Dakota, which previously campaigned against vaccines, in anti-data center events. He suggests that while fears about AI are understandable, the physical nature of data centers makes them a tangible target for anxieties about broader societal and economic disruptions caused by new technology.
The article references a protest on January 12, 2026, near a data center construction site in Harwood, North Dakota, highlighting the physical manifestation of this opposition.