Just a couple of years ago, hearing the term “data center” wouldn’t have struck a nerve with most Americans. Now, mention the noisy oversized warehouses and you’ll spark a fierce debate. The infrastructure powering the AI industry is at the heart of heated discussions of politics, business, and the environment, and in the months leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, backlash to data centers has proven to be an issue activating Americans across the political spectrum.
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On the Panel
- Tim Marchman: WIRED’s senior director of science, politics, and security.
- Molly Taft: a senior writer at WIRED, covering climate change, energy, and the environment.
- Hugo Lowell: a senior political correspondent at WIRED, anchoring our weekly politics newsletter, Inner Loop, from Washington, DC.
- Maxwell Zeff: a senior writer at WIRED, covering the business of artificial intelligence. He writes the weekly Model Behavior newsletter, focusing on the people, communities, and companies behind Silicon Valley’s AI scene.
In the meantime, check out past livestreams on AI and work, the defense tech industry, and the future of electric vehicles.
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