GoKawiilAI Data Center Panel Disrupted by Extinction Rebellion Protesters at NYC Climate Week
A panel of tech executives discussing AI and data centers at Climate Week in New York was repeatedly interrupted by activists from Extinction Rebellion NYC, who took turns standing up to shout about the environmental harms of AI and fossil-fuel-powered infrastructure before being removed by security. Crusoe cofounder Cully Cavness, one of the panelists, later told the moderator he was still rattled by the disruption minutes afterward.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The confrontation illustrates growing public friction over data centers' energy demands, coming amid what the writer describes as a stretch of declining public support and new moratoriums on data center construction in both red and blue states. The panelists' visible unease suggests the industry may be increasingly sensitive to reputational and political risk as scrutiny of AI's environmental footprint intensifies.
- Extinction Rebellion NYC activists repeatedly disrupted a Climate Week panel on AI and data centers.
- Crusoe cofounder Cully Cavness said he remained affected by the interruption well after it ended.
- The protest occurred amid what the writer calls a broader decline in public support for data centers and new moratoriums in various states.
Source: wired.com — Molly Taft, 2026-09-27
Published there as: “The Data Center Backlash Should Also Be a Climate Reckoning. It Isn’t Yet”
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