GoKawiil
Tech News
An investigation by The Guardian found that nearly all of the world's ten largest producers of PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' intend to expand production to supply the booming data center industry. These chemicals are widely used in cooling systems, AI chips, circuit boards, fire suppression equipment, and cable coatings inside data centers.
Activists in Philadelphia, led by Shawmar Pitts of Philly Thrive, are pushing for a moratorium on new AI data centers after city officials identified potential construction sites in Northeast Philadelphia and Grays Ferry, a neighborhood near a shuttered oil refinery. Pitts and his neighbors, many of whom suffered health problems linked to decades of industrial pollution, worry that data centers could bring similar environmental and energy burdens despite promises of jobs and growth.
A New York Times/Siena University poll of 1,503 likely voters conducted in early September found 61 percent opposed building data centers for AI, with only 14 percent strongly supportive. Opposition skewed heavily among Harris voters and non-voters, while 2024 Trump voters were nearly evenly split between support and opposition. Environmental and water-use concerns topped the list of reasons for opposition, followed by community impact and general distrust of AI.
A new BloombergNEF report forecasts that US data centers will consume roughly 18 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035, nearly double its estimate from nine months earlier. That figure would exceed the combined natural gas consumption of Germany and Japan, with grid-connected facilities accounting for the bulk of the growth rather than onsite gas plants built by companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google and Amazon.
Bloomberg forecasts that U.S. AI data centers will consume up to 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035, more than double an earlier projection of 6.9 billion cubic feet. The surge stems from operators turning to onsite gas turbine generators as grid power buildouts lag behind AI compute demand, with data centers expected to draw roughly 194 gigawatts, or 20% of U.S. power, by that year.
President Trump used Truth Social to reject growing calls from AI executives for stronger oversight of the technology, singling out Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for criticism after Amodei urged a coordinated industry slowdown, independent audits, and international safety standards. Trump argued that the only safeguard AI needs is a competent president, and characterized nationwide protests against AI data centers as a coordinated effort to undermine American tech companies.
Digital Realty CEO Andrew Power said warnings of a potential AI development slowdown from firms like Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI would not mean a halt to data center real estate demand. He argued that non-AI digital transformation and cloud computing growth remain strong drivers for his business, even as Digital Realty and Equinix shares fell on Monday amid AI slowdown fears.
Investors are increasingly scrutinizing whether the massive data center buildout tied to Anthropic and OpenAI's growth can continue at its current pace, given uncertainty around future AI model progress. Companies like Oracle, GE Vernova, Caterpillar, Vertiv, Nebius, CoreWeave, Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise have all made major bets tied to sustained AI infrastructure demand.
President Trump phoned Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang while Huang was speaking at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, and was put on speakerphone to address the audience. Trump dismissed growing concerns about AI and data center expansion as a hoax, arguing that data centers create wealth for people and states. The call followed a weekend of Trump social media posts attacking Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call to slow AI development and rejecting calls for new AI regulation.
President Trump has publicly backed automated license plate reader systems made by Flock Safety, aligning himself with the surveillance technology as the midterm elections near. His support also extends to data center expansion and policies aimed at accelerating AI development without regulatory slowdown.
President Trump said he sees no need for additional oversight of artificial intelligence, pushing back against safety warnings from industry insiders. He also claimed that opposition to AI development and new data centers is being driven by a coordinated campaign rather than genuine public concern.
Developers behind the proposed Frederick Digital Campus have pitched a $110 million package to Frederick County, Maryland residents to secure approval for the site, which would house tenants including Amazon and Aligned Data Centers. The package includes a $30 million elementary school, $40 million in recreational facilities, a $14.5 million workforce training center, $10.5 million for agricultural preservation, and up to $100 million toward a water reclamation system that would cut potable water use by 80%.