An ex-programmer’s devastating take on AI data centers is going viral — and it’s hard to ignore

Mr Hollingsworth speaking at a city council planning meeting for the city of Ravenna, in Ohio.

• A former programmer’s anti-data-center speech is going viral because it cuts through AI hype and focuses on local costs
• Ohio has become a hotspot for backlash over data centers, with concerns over power, water, land use, and tax breaks
• The bigger question is whether communities are being asked to sacrifice too much for too little in return

It’s not every day that a city council planning meeting goes viral, but a recent session in Ravenna, Ohio, has done exactly that.