Data centers in Texas, AI remain big topic on campaign trail
AI and data center fears among voters
There is a new warning about AI. Tech insiders claim super-intelligence is a few months away from a point when developers may lose control of the systems. The news is expected to feed into the political controversy in Texas over data centers.
AUSTIN, Texas - Tech experts with artificial intelligence (AI) said they were coming forward not to promote a ban, but to encourage ways to regulate and manage it. Essentially, that’s the same approach being pitched for data centers.
Those big-box computing complexes help power super-intelligence programs. On the midterm campaign trail, data center projects have become political bogeymen for both Democrats and Republicans.
AI remains a big topic in Texas
What they're saying:
On Wednesday’s Battleground Texas show, high-tech was discussed.
"It has become a very political topic, of course, but the facts of the fiction, I think, are getting a little blurred about their impact on these communities," said Steven Dial of FOX 4.
Texas has a lot of land unfit for livestock or crops. Greg Groogan with FOX 26 noted, and agreed, there’s no good reason why this political boogieman should still be alive.
"The pledge of new guardrails set in stone should have calmed fears, recycled the water you use completely, put back into the grid every electron you consume, and never ever build next to neighborhoods," said Groogan.
Haskell County data center controversy
Local perspective:
An area that is trying to manage fear and construction is located just north of Abilene. Haskell County is a hot zone for data center construction in Texas. Christina Isbell, who is the Mayor of the town of Haskell, spoke to FOX 7 about how local politicians have been able to withstand the pushback.
"Transparency is the biggest key. And I feel like since I've been mayor, I've been very transparent about everything that happens within the city," said Mayor Isbell.
There are still concerns, and people in rural areas of Haskell County worry about their water wells. But Isbell said they are having conversations, not shouting matches.
"All of our Commissioners that sit in our county have been commissioners for 10, 15, 20, 30 years, and they've watched the cities in our county decline. They've seen schools close. They watched grocery stores close. They've watched the towns get smaller. So, you can't blame them for wanting to try to bring some kind of economic growth to the community," said Isbell.
Big picture view:
There are other areas in Texas responding with construction bans and moratoriums.
On the campaign trail, Democrat Gina Hinojosa claims data centers are examples of political corruption. That political pitch is echoed by James Talarico, who has ads accusing his republican senate rival Ken Paxton of getting payoffs from developers.
Meanwhile, Governor Greg Abbott has demanded water use audits and Ken Paxton, as the current Texas Attorney General, is trying to enforce that demand, which was due Wednesday. The penalty for not complying reportedly is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $500.
An official with the Governor’s Office told FOX 7 a report has been sent to Abbott, but it’s not known when that report will be released publicly.
The Source: Information from Haskell Mayor Christina Isbell, Battleground Texas and reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski