CANADALAND CANADALAND

Meta's Gas-Guzzling $13 Billion Data Centre Coming to Alberta

Jul 17, 2026 · 34m

Summary

Host Jesse Brown and guest Douglas Saltis critique Meta’s $13 billion gas-powered AI data center in Alberta, contrasting it with the federal government’s promise of ethical, green AI. They discuss the economic implications of this "digital refinery" model and the disconnect between national strategy and provincial implementation. The episode also covers the hiring of philosophers by AI labs and reviews the Globe and Mail’s list of the top 100 Canadian films.

Topics discussed

Intro, ads, and University of Waterloo event announcement Meta's $13B AI data center investment in Alberta Critique of 'ethical AI' and the 'digital refinery' concept Economic impact, jobs, and the 'Deadwood' analogy Ads and preview of upcoming topics AI sovereignty, compute access, and Meta's Muse deepfakes Philosophy, ethics, and the hiring of thinkers in AI The Globe and Mail's top 100 Canadian films list Outro, credits, and final sponsor messages
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