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
Listen ad-free on Castria