Can data centers ever be "good neighbors"?
Summary
Marketplace Tech discusses growing public backlash against data centers, featuring Scott Brennan of NYU’s Center on Technology Policy. The episode explores how AI infrastructure projects often localize harms like noise and rising energy costs while offering collective benefits. Brennan outlines strategies for data centers to become better neighbors, including renewable energy integration and community benefit agreements. The conversation highlights a deepening crisis of trust, where even generous offers from hyperscalers fail to quell skepticism about unfulfilled promises and broader AI risks.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Tomorrow is Cure podcast promotion
Survey reveals growing public backlash against data centers
Scott Brennan explains localized harms vs collective benefits
Strategies for data centers to be good neighbors
Examples of community benefits and energy trade-offs
Data centers as a symbol of broader tech distrust
Sponsor: Tomorrow is Cure podcast promotion
Case study: Indiana community and hyperscaler skepticism
Why past broken promises fuel current distrust
The shift in power: Communities vs Data Centers
Conclusion: The challenge of rebuilding trust
Marketplace Tech fall campaign and donation appeal
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