Fayyad\u2019s claim that data centers are a distraction is the frame for his own argument that Congress needs to regulate artificial intelligence. While this is certainly true, he himself acknowledges that \u201cthere\u2019s little to no appetite in Washington to meaningfully regulate the industry.\u201d This is where improv performers \u2014 and organizers \u2014 know that \u201cand,\u201d not \u201cbut,\u201d is the solution. <\/p>\n
Get The Gavel<\/p>\n
A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr.<\/p>\n
Smaller winnable campaigns are a critical first step in organizing people \u2014 and politicians \u2014 to take on larger issues. They are also essential to chipping away at resistant authorities, such as today\u2019s Congress, and laying the ground for working with future and potentially more responsive authorities. Finally, the power of \u201cand\u201d opens up possibilities for action, where \u201cbut\u201d shuts them down. <\/p>\n
Organizers and improv actors alike also recognize the importance of narrative framing. By leaning into \u201cand\u201d instead of \u201cbut,\u201d Fayyad could have framed his narrative less dismissively and more generatively, which is what we all need to be doing at this moment. <\/p>\n
Rebecca Steinitz<\/p>\n
Arlington<\/p>\n
Mass. could be a leader in supporting responsible data center development<\/p>\n
I agree with Mindy Lubber\u2019s view that we can balance data center growth with positive benefits for Massachusetts (\u201cHow Mass. can balance data center growth and climate goals,\u201d<\/a> Opinion, May 2). The economic benefits of doing so would far outweigh the costs of regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n Massachusetts has repeatedly built its economic base on innovation and technology. Consider the Route 128 technology belt, the biotech boom, and our being home to many of the country\u2019s best colleges and universities. Currently, artificial intelligence is the driver of high tech, and AI requires huge quantities of data. In order to remain economically viable, supporting responsible data center development is crucial.<\/p>\n The challenge will be to balance the requirements to be imposed in exchange for permits, as Lubber argued. That means creating clear standards regarding energy usage, grid improvements, and community impact.<\/p>\n Then there is water. Reducing water usage is paramount, given the trend of climate change-induced drought. There are technologies that can be employed to reduce water usage in data centers. For example, ZutaCore has developed a product that eliminates water from the computer cooling process.<\/p>\n If the Legislature enacts appropriate regulations, Massachusetts could capitalize on a key economic driver of the future.<\/p>\n Jonathan Quint<\/p>\n Milford<\/p>\n This costly technology is being shoved down our throats<\/p>\n Both the environmental and economic costs of data centers, which power AI, are passed on to us, the consumers, regardless of whether we use these services. That means that yet again we are underwriting billionaires\u2019 paychecks and further polluting our world without our consent. <\/p>\n Mindy Lubber\u2019s op-ed about balancing data center growth and climate goals was laughable. \u201cWith the right approach,\u201d she writes, \u201cdata centers can enable more wind, solar, and battery deployment.\u201d Her vision of having data centers fund clean energy initiatives is bizarre. It\u2019s like asking Monsanto, whose product Roundup has been associated with lymphoma,<\/a> to donate to cancer treatment. <\/p>\n Lubber\u2019s ideas need expanding. For instance, let us pass legislation that these centers must create their own energy through renewables that they develop, must use only gray water, and must be planned for areas where there is complete buy-in from the community. <\/p>\n Also, the fact that AI is generated for all internet searches, whether we ask for it or not, is bowing again to the tech billionaires who continue to develop it. We should be able to opt in if we want the service and pay for it. <\/p>\n AI is not a basic human need like clean air and water. Let\u2019s stop treating it that way.<\/p>\n Judith Black<\/p>\n Marblehead<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fayyad\u2019s claim that data centers are a distraction is the frame for his own argument that Congress needs…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,601,25,21076,1670,21077,2814,1230,21078,21079,597,2982,21080,206,1661,2785,21081,464,626,1228,9198,1346,21082,134,2450,2187,21083],"class_list":{"0":"post-32963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ai","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial","10":"tag-artificial-intelligence","11":"tag-capitol-hill","12":"tag-congress","13":"tag-dc","14":"tag-democratic-party","15":"tag-democrats","16":"tag-dems","17":"tag-gop","18":"tag-government","19":"tag-house","20":"tag-house-of-representatives","21":"tag-intelligence","22":"tag-left","23":"tag-north-america","24":"tag-polarization","25":"tag-politics","26":"tag-republican-party","27":"tag-republicans","28":"tag-right","29":"tag-senate","30":"tag-senators","31":"tag-technology","32":"tag-usa","33":"tag-washington","34":"tag-worries"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}