G20: AI Data Centers Between Promotion and Controversy

In Chapel Hill, the issue of AI data centers has taken center stage at the G20. Washington is urging other leaders to promote their construction, while protesters target tech figures and the promises made by industry regarding jobs and health are under scrutiny.

Promises of breakthroughs and public skepticism expressed by Anthropic

Tom Brown from Anthropic stated on Wednesday that the economic and scientific effects of AI could be significant in five years, particularly on topics like cancer treatment. However, Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, recently wrote that promising AI will cure cancer has become a cliché perceived as misleading, and what will matter is actually achieving that outcome. Furthermore, many studies suggest that the job growth attributed to data centers is overstated, and positions are generally scarce once the sites are operational. A marketing message posits that if AI cures cancer, the cost of the centers would be worth it.

Protest in Chapel Hill against tech figures

On Wednesday, on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where the summit was held, about 100 students and residents protested against the appearances of Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Howard Lutnick. The gathering took place in front of The Carolina Inn, the site of the G20 forum. A student, Amy from Sunrise UNC, explained that the protesters do not want tech billionaires on their campus and criticized the addition of more than 20 Flock cameras. Slogans specifically targeted Sam Altman, while signs referenced alleged ties to Howard Lutnick and called on companies to prioritize people over profits.

American stance: promoting centers and rejecting new regulations

The U.S. government is running a campaign to convince other leaders to promote AI data centers and has focused its approach at the summit on growth, without adding new regulations. Howard Lutnick and other officials believe that existing laws and regulations are sufficient to address AI issues and that additional rules would be burdensome. On Wednesday, Lutnick presented AI as an opportunity to democratize intelligence and claimed he does not believe in pessimism about AI. Pro-AI messages often emphasize the idea that those who do not engage will be left behind, an argument echoed this week by Donald Trump, who stated that communities rejecting the centers will end up "backward and poor," without established evidence to support this claim. AI-related harms have already been observed under current U.S. law. In this context, Lutnick argues that developing AI involves building data centers.

Nvidia's position and pro-infrastructure industry arguments

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spoke on Wednesday before G20 ministers. He asserted that creating local AI infrastructure in a country stimulates the activity of startups and researchers, and noted that the U.S. regulatory environment allows for substantial expansion of these infrastructures. Tech companies argue that data centers create jobs and support local taxation, and to counter their negative image, they also highlight the potential scientific advancements that AI could foster.

Massive expansion in the United States and very concrete impacts

In the United States, approximately 3,400 data centers are already operational, with 2,000 more planned, according to Cleanview. Their operation requires significant amounts of electricity, clean water for chip cooling, and land for construction, as these sites are essential for training AI models. However, their proliferation fuels unpopularity related to resource consumption, noise, air pollution, and increased bills for households, an opposition noted across the political spectrum. Even though some stakeholders claim to understand the public's mindset, this does not alleviate the impact these facilities have on communities in the meantime.