Italy has approved a law to protect their citizens from AI. This is good progress, and we need to support this. Big tech is not our friend... sure a few have us in consideration but at the end of the day is all about profit and margins. Companies need to be regulated and we need to regulate our governments.
I will probably expand this post a bit more. I had some conversations with people in politics and most of them are totally unaware what AI really means to their voters and to society in general, they know is good but that's it.
Also we in general need to know more about AI, especially what LLMs are in fact, there are many AI technologies that have being put on hold to focus on LLMs, technology that are far superior that LLMs, but because there's no commercial viability, is parked until it is.
In my view, modern civilization rests on four primary pillars: Water for drinking and agriculture, Energy for homes and industry, Sewage systems for waste treatment, and Compute Capacity for information processing. Data centers compete with society for two of these pillars namely Water and Power.
Modern data centers demands are growing rapidly as the AI arms race accelerates. This pressure comes at a time when many regions are already strained. In some places, utility costs are rising while post-COVID economic shifts have weakened local tax bases. The result is a growing tension between digital infrastructure and public well-being.
I believe data centers will become the focus of increasing public resentment and potentially violence. You can already see the pattern emerging. Across municipalities, people are agitated about water and power being diverted toward these facilities. They ask a fair question: "Why should the needs of data centers outweigh the needs of communities?"
It’s easy to see how the data center becomes a symbol of broader dysfunction. When people feel ignored, when the essentials of life are rationed, they look for something to blame. A massive structure, owned by distant billionaires and filled with silent machines drinking power and water 24/7, makes for an easy villain.
In tech, some of us are concern with the implications of these mega data centres especially when water levels are already insufficient for consumption and for cooling them.
We advocate for small, efficient data centres, which are entirely possible even with a fraction of the hundreds of billions promised for expansion. Technology should enhance and support us, not compete with us.
Scaling isn’t the solution it’s a mistake that will cost governments both public trust and public funds.
I still remember the early 2000s, when innovation meant making phones smaller and cramming in as many components as possible.
Today, “bigger is better.” And all because a handful of engineers working in AI, believe that to achieve AGI we need to fill the planet with mega structures.
Soon we’ll have to decide do we want to survive with selfies or with water?
Thanks for writing this. AI and LLMs are exploding on the marketplace and dazzling the unsuspecting public with some digital hype. Economics is a big player in 'tech' and Policy is not keeping pace. Monopolies and control are paramount. Another worry is the populous is mesmerized by tech through various social medias and isn't taking time to think and question.
Please keep writing on this topic as it is moving quickly and is extremely foundational to society's future.
Thank you. Indeed big tech is getting too powerful to my taste. But I can see new policies, even last week Italy approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence, and many will follow. We need this from our institutions, and we has citizens much push our institutions to get these measures in place. Governments should policy corporations and we should keep in check our governments. For better or worst.
Italy has approved a law to protect their citizens from AI. This is good progress, and we need to support this. Big tech is not our friend... sure a few have us in consideration but at the end of the day is all about profit and margins. Companies need to be regulated and we need to regulate our governments.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-enacts-ai-law-covering-privacy-oversight-child-access-2025-09-17/
I will probably expand this post a bit more. I had some conversations with people in politics and most of them are totally unaware what AI really means to their voters and to society in general, they know is good but that's it.
Also we in general need to know more about AI, especially what LLMs are in fact, there are many AI technologies that have being put on hold to focus on LLMs, technology that are far superior that LLMs, but because there's no commercial viability, is parked until it is.
In my view, modern civilization rests on four primary pillars: Water for drinking and agriculture, Energy for homes and industry, Sewage systems for waste treatment, and Compute Capacity for information processing. Data centers compete with society for two of these pillars namely Water and Power.
Modern data centers demands are growing rapidly as the AI arms race accelerates. This pressure comes at a time when many regions are already strained. In some places, utility costs are rising while post-COVID economic shifts have weakened local tax bases. The result is a growing tension between digital infrastructure and public well-being.
I believe data centers will become the focus of increasing public resentment and potentially violence. You can already see the pattern emerging. Across municipalities, people are agitated about water and power being diverted toward these facilities. They ask a fair question: "Why should the needs of data centers outweigh the needs of communities?"
It’s easy to see how the data center becomes a symbol of broader dysfunction. When people feel ignored, when the essentials of life are rationed, they look for something to blame. A massive structure, owned by distant billionaires and filled with silent machines drinking power and water 24/7, makes for an easy villain.
Problems:
“Exposing The Dark Side of America’s AI Data Center Explosion,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA
“Musk Is Scamming the City of Memphis”: Meet Two Brothers Fighting Colossus, Musk’s xAI Data Center” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGXPesSleRA
“Could thirsty AI worsen the water crisis? | People & Power Documentary” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX__219Hr-4
Possible Solutions:
“Microsoft unveils a data center design that uses zero water for cooling | Techmeme Ride Home Podcast” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzrhScemLRo&t=2s
“Munters and ZutaCore waterless direct-to-chip data center cooling” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmCRCf8TOdE&t=1s
“Ending the War on Water for Data Center Cooling” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YlB5-j1wD0
“NREL Data Center Cuts Water Use in Half With Hybrid Thermosyphon System” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25LFjlj1pY4
“Liquid Cooling in the Data Center: Lenovo at CloudFest 2025” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OYaawWCvF4&t=1s
Thank you for the comment and the links, Kenneth.
In tech, some of us are concern with the implications of these mega data centres especially when water levels are already insufficient for consumption and for cooling them.
We advocate for small, efficient data centres, which are entirely possible even with a fraction of the hundreds of billions promised for expansion. Technology should enhance and support us, not compete with us.
Scaling isn’t the solution it’s a mistake that will cost governments both public trust and public funds.
I still remember the early 2000s, when innovation meant making phones smaller and cramming in as many components as possible.
Today, “bigger is better.” And all because a handful of engineers working in AI, believe that to achieve AGI we need to fill the planet with mega structures.
Soon we’ll have to decide do we want to survive with selfies or with water?
Thanks for writing this. AI and LLMs are exploding on the marketplace and dazzling the unsuspecting public with some digital hype. Economics is a big player in 'tech' and Policy is not keeping pace. Monopolies and control are paramount. Another worry is the populous is mesmerized by tech through various social medias and isn't taking time to think and question.
Please keep writing on this topic as it is moving quickly and is extremely foundational to society's future.
Thank you. Indeed big tech is getting too powerful to my taste. But I can see new policies, even last week Italy approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence, and many will follow. We need this from our institutions, and we has citizens much push our institutions to get these measures in place. Governments should policy corporations and we should keep in check our governments. For better or worst.