The Economist: Moral Panic Over Data Centres Is Foolish
The moral panic over data centres is foolish
A leader in The Economist argues that the backlash against data centres is misguided. While concerns about energy and water use are understandable, the piece contends that data centres are vital infrastructure for the digital economy and that their environmental impact is often exaggerated. It calls for rational debate and smarter policies rather than panic.
The moral panic over data centres is foolish.
- agentultra
> just about everything in modern life, from streaming Netflix to running a dishwasher, consumes water at levels that can be portrayed as wasteful by hair-shirt environmentalists.
Ad-hominems in an Economist article. This reads more like an opinion piece than reporting. There are plenty of documented problems with water usage of data centres. Some can use it efficiently but it costs more to do so and many (most?) do not.
We are also in a time when most people would prefer to use that water for drinking, washing, cleaning… basically anything except data centres.
Don’t think many people are going to read this and think, “Gosh, I was a fool!”
- goldenarm
The article dismisses everything without sourcing anything.
US electricity is 40% more expensive since 2022
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU000072610
Some AI datacenters can indeed be heard a mile away
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/28/datacenters-...
Amazon's new Texas AI data center could become the biggest CO2 polluter in the US
https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazons-new-texas-ai-data-cent...
- jedberg
I have a lot of left leaning non-tech friends. They are all very much against AI data centers. I've built AI data centers, and I keep trying to educate them, but they just won't listen.
The water is mostly part of a closed system. Sure, you need a lot to build one, but once it's running it's pretty water efficient. The lack of green power is a problem, but as the article points out, you now have a large customer subsidizing the base cost of delivery, since they are only one delivery point, and they are financing new sources of power, which if properly regulated would be green power.
The noise is an issue, I will admit that. As is the fact that a lot of the power is coming from non-green sources. But the government could easily fix these problems with regulations that apply broadly, not just to datacenters.
- sajithdilshan
I think the hatred towards the data centers stems from the anger and frustration that has been caused by the white collar job replacement done by AI.
We have an entire generation of young people that went to college and got a degree hoping that they would be able to get a good job and live a comfortable life. However, that's not the case anymore and the fact that almost all entry level jobs are replaced by AI has created this sentiment among people that somehow AI is evil.
The problem is not that AI is evil, but most of the people would have to learn new skills and adapt because the profession or job they trained at college doesn't exists anymore.
Data Centers have existed way before mainstream AI. Everyone would binge watch the latest season of popular shows of Netflix and won't even bat an eye thinking how much water that has wasted.
- r_lee
what about the videos of residents showing decibel meters going off and water pressure dropping?
just an anecdote but what exactly do local residents gain here? a handful of permanent maintenance jobs?
- timmg
I was actually pretty worried that the anti-datacenter backlash would stunt and important industry (for the US).
But I think the effect will be that the companies building them will "sweeten" the deal for the local towns where they are building -- probably by way of taxes. And while that will be a drag on their development (by adding costs), the scale won't be bad enough to really hurt.
And in that sense, everyone wins. The locales will be happy to have the extra resources. And the ones that don't take the "bribe" -- or whatever you want to call it -- won't get datacenters.
(But I do agree that panic is overblown and counterproductive.)
- sleight42
"The moral panic over data centres is foolish", says editorial in a news journal that is foremost about making money.
The rest of us pay higher and higher electrical bills because of data centers.
Data centers create jobs during construction but few jobs after.
Strategically, though, the US is cooked if we don't keep ahead of the pack.
Hell of a tradeoff.
- nklp
Relevant video from Benn Jordan investigating data center noise that the article glosses over: