At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, CoreWeave CEO Mike Intrator told CNBC that AI and data center companies have not adequately communicated the advantages of their technology to the public. He argued that community opposition stems less from data centers themselves and more from broader anxiety about the rapid pace of technological change and its uncertain effects on people's lives and children's futures.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-09
Several U.S. states that previously granted multi-decade tax exemptions to lure data center investments from Amazon, Meta and Google are now reconsidering or rolling back those deals. The reversal follows growing public backlash over the facilities' strain on local resources and limited job creation relative to the tax revenue forgone.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-09
Verdant, an economic think tank pushing for stricter data center regulation, says techUK's widely cited job creation figures are inflated. It estimates existing UK data centers support about 4,400 direct jobs versus techUK's 24,300, and projects only 10,400 permanent jobs by 2035 for planned sites versus techUK's forecast of 40,200.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-09
Google announced plans to invest $15 billion in AI infrastructure in Finland, expanding its data center footprint in the country. The move adds to a wave of similar large-scale investments by U.S. tech companies aiming to grow AI computing capacity outside the United States.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-09
Reuters reports that Big Tech firms including Amazon, Google, and OpenAI are exploring Argentina's Patagonia region for large-scale data centers, drawn by its cold climate and abundant hydroelectric, wind, and shale gas energy. The region still lacks sufficient fiber infrastructure, and its political future is uncertain ahead of next year's presidential election.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-09
US energy storage set another quarterly record, powered largely by seven new gigascale battery installations exceeding one gigawatt-hour each, according to a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Behind-the-meter batteries also grew, with data centers accounting for roughly three-quarters of new commercial installations, even as residential battery installations are projected to fall 16% in 2026 after a supporting tax credit expired in 2025.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-09
Google announced a 13 billion euro ($15.1 billion) investment to build out AI infrastructure in Finland, making it the company's largest single investment ever made in Europe. The move underscores Finland's growing appeal to hyperscalers seeking abundant land and power resources that are increasingly scarce elsewhere on the continent.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-09
Corning shares jumped 8% after announcing a multibillion-dollar partnership with Verizon to build fiber-optic cables for AI data centers, extending its 2025 gain to 90%. Qualcomm also rose after disclosing it issued Amazon warrants worth up to $4 billion in stock as part of a deal where AWS will buy up to $60 billion in Qualcomm server chips, with revenue starting in the December quarter. The news lifted other AI infrastructure stocks including Intel, AMD, HPE and Coherent.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-08
Thailand's government has asked operators of 49 data centers under construction to voluntarily halt work while officials draft comprehensive legislation covering the industry, according to NESDC secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan. The country currently lacks specific laws for data centers, resulting in loopholes such as facilities being zoned as warehouses next to hospitals, and officials plan to spend about a month drafting rules after gathering data from agencies through September 11.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-08
Former Opendoor CEO Eric Wu has emerged from a year-long break to found a new company, now out of stealth since May, that builds AI-powered voice assistants for construction and field workers. The tool acts as a hands-free coach guiding laborers through tasks, aiming to address a labor shortfall the industry group Associated Builders and Contractors pegs at roughly 349,000 missing workers this year.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-08
X reported identifying roughly 200 accounts tied to China that it says were amplifying anti-data center rhetoric on the platform, sparking coverage framing local opposition as foreign manipulation. President Trump quickly echoed the claim on Truth Social, suggesting China benefits from the backlash against US data center construction, even as public polling shows growing domestic opposition to these projects regardless of any outside influence.
wired.com
· 2026-09-06
A group called Build American AI, backed by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, is launching a multimillion-dollar advertising push in states like Ohio, Wisconsin and Kansas to counter growing public opposition to AI data centers. Brockman's $100 million super PAC, Leading the Future, is reportedly financing the campaign, which frames pushback against data centers as a threat to jobs and American competitiveness.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-06
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