Labor unions must unite against AI datacenters
Workers should start with a moratorium against building until our livelihoods and communities are protected
TL;DR
- AI data centers are expanding rapidly, with developers planning $8tn investments.
- Data centers create few long-term jobs relative to investment and have significant environmental impacts, including high energy consumption.
- Labor unions are criticized for collaborating on data center construction, which may lead to widespread job displacement.
- The Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act and similar statewide moratoriums are proposed as necessary steps.
- New York's temporary halt on data center permits is seen as a practical, though insufficient, step towards regulation.
- The article calls for worker-centered frameworks for technological development and regulations ensuring sustainability and community consent.