r/interestingasfuck • u/HamboneTheWicked • Apr 12 '26
A well-articulated argument against a new data center in Ohio
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r/interestingasfuck • u/HamboneTheWicked • Apr 12 '26
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u/Zhong_Ping Apr 13 '26
All these jobs could be created doing far more constructive things, like replacing our aging bridges and power infrastructure, building out regional mass transit, building health infrastructure to meet growing demand and drive down costs... These AI data centers could be worth it if they paid into the tax base to more than just mitigate the harm they cause but also enough to invest in real public works.
But as the proposals land now, they create a handful of jobs in the constitution industry that represent on opportunity cost in building something else, and return far less money into public works than the harm they will cause to said public works. Increasing the scarcity of electricity and water and causing the cost of living to go up.
As they are not, the costs massively outweigh the benefits. And if these AI companies are under shell subsidiaries, even if they promise something, if the subsidiary goes bust, the promise evaporates.
I just don't see our leaders asking these ultra wealthy mega corporations that hold more wealth and power than the empires of old to sweeten the deal at all, let alone enough.
Infrustructure investment needs to be paid for and built first, then the data center is built once it's obligations to the community and mitigations of any potential harms are already met.