In this episode of the Sustainable Views podcast, deputy editor Elizabeth Meager speaks to reporter Ben Steel about his coverage of AI and data centres, from their growing demands for energy and water to the political backlash emerging across the US.
They discuss concerns raised by communities living near major data centre developments, why opposition is becoming a bipartisan political issue, and whether businesses and investors have underestimated the scale of public resistance. The conversation also examines the sustainability claims made by hyperscalers, the scrutiny facing frontier AI companies, and how businesses using AI should think about the environmental footprint of the technology.
With AI investment continuing to accelerate, what will determine whether the infrastructure needed to support it can expand sustainable and how much could local opposition change the economics of the boom?
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