Large-scale protests against AI begin in the USA

Mass protests have taken place across 42 US states against the construction of data centers supporting AI systems. Organized by the HumansFirst movement, these demonstrations are considered the first nationwide action in the country's history directed against AI infrastructure. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to Reuters, citizens participated in a total of 142 separate actions to express opposition to projects being implemented by tech giants such as Meta, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI. Activists are concerned that the rapid construction of such massive facilities is placing excessive strain on local resources, particularly the power grid and water supply.

Resource scarcity and public discontent

Protesters carried signs reading "We need water, not data" and "Georgia did not vote for hyperscale AI centers." The issue is that servers used to train and operate modern AI systems consume vast amounts of electricity and require millions of liters of clean water for cooling systems.

HumansFirst organizers state that the movement has united people with diverse political views. They are brought together by a common goal: the desire to minimize the negative impact of new technological facilities on the ecology and lifestyle of their cities and rural areas.

Polls conducted by Reuters/Ipsos also show high levels of public concern. According to the study, only one-third of Americans support the pace of data center construction in the country. Only 14 percent of respondents stated they would agree to such a facility being built in their own city.

Industry response

Representatives of the tech industry are attempting to refute these criticisms. Josh Levi, president of the Data Center Coalition, stated that industry representatives are working in close cooperation with local authorities and residents. According to him, companies are taking measures to minimize the environmental impact of new facilities and integrate them safely into regional infrastructure.

Nevertheless, as the AI race intensifies, large corporations are forced to increase their capacity. This indicates that the conflict between technological progress and the preservation of natural resources will likely deepen in the future. For countries developing a digital economy, such as Uzbekistan, the situation in the USA may serve as an important lesson in maintaining energy efficiency and ecological balance.