Quote :

"Shouldn't you be anti-hen?"

the prospect of righteously murdering hens doesn't create the same sense of satisfaction for the aggrieved upper-middle class crusaders

Quote :

"Once you successfully designate your enemy as Nazi, as fascist, as settler, as genocider AI zealot, as embodiment of absolute evil, several things happen simultaneously: traditional moral restraints (of so-called Christian bourgeois morality, Muslim traditional morality, etc.) dissolve entirely. You are not merely permitted but required to oppose them by any means necessary. Restraint becomes complicity; proceduralism becomes collaboration; mercy becomes betrayal of victims. Any form of sense or moderation becomes part of the original oppression. Then the violence becomes aestheticized. The suffering inflicted is no longer a tragic necessity but righteous, sexy spectacle, something to be witnessed, recorded, celebrated, even enjoyed. This leads to cruelty itself becoming virtue-signaling. The extremity of violence you’re willing to inflict becomes proof of your moral commitment. Restraint suggests insufficient recognition of evil; moderation implies moral weakness; calls for mercy reveal hidden sympathy with monsters. So, the pleasure in suffering becomes sanctifying. You demonstrate your righteousness precisely through your capacity to enjoy the Nazi’s pain without guilt, to experience their suffering as aesthetic pleasure and moral affirmation simultaneously. Your enjoyment becomes evidence of your virtue rather than warning of your corruption."

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 7:29 PM. Reason : indeed, the farmer must be killed]

5/13/2026 7:27:47 PM

Why is it the people who don't like something are the problem and not the people who are shoving the thing they dislike without any attempt to convince then its good?

Remember when power (that we endlessly criticize) used to at least pretend to manufacture consent

Also the same folks building the data centers worked very hard to scuttle renewable energy efforts and spike non renewable costs.

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 7:57 PM. Reason : E]

5/13/2026 7:57:34 PM

How aren't those people against it not the problem? Why can't you convince us it is bad?

5/13/2026 8:05:11 PM

I don't think there is anything that could convince you that it's bad at this point.

To be clear, it's not AI itself that's bad and I don't think anyone is saying that, it's the unbridled capitalistic lust that is fueling these handful of companies who are helmed by people who seem to lack an ounce of empathy and come across as soulless ghouls.

Do you think they care about the environment they're destroying or problems they're creating? I mean, the defense that some of you were making about grok posting CSAM was 'oh well, society is going to do that' rather than 'Maybe we they should take it down and figure out how to make it not as easy to obtain that content'

5/13/2026 8:17:51 PM

I could be convinced, and I don't think its 100% perfect, but to me its certainly an overall net positive to me

5/13/2026 8:37:32 PM

Okay, what would would it take to convince you?

5/13/2026 8:38:33 PM

^^I don't know man I was talking about Data centers specifically but like for example the tww AI that you are very upset about, maybe instead of turning on this huge new tool on a board we've been using for 2 decades, it could've been talked about first. Do people want this? How would you use it? If you don't want it would it make you leave? Are there conditions where you'd be OK with it? Etc. If something is so great you should be able to convince a plurality.

Instead we just turned it on, I didn't even realize what was going on at first and people were already trying to pretend to make weird images of me.

At the end of the day I, like Justin or others, can always choose to leave but is that what you want?

All this is just a minor version of like work "use the Ai or die", same thing I could leave but it sucks I have to weigh that for something that isn't even useful for my profession (yet). Jobs aren't saying "here use this super useful ai tool" they are saying "here is AI figure out how to make it useful or else"

5/13/2026 8:39:19 PM

^^Compelling evidence it is a net negative

^

Quote :

"can always choose to leave but is that what you want?"

This is the kind of mentality that really irks me. Just so whiny crybaby to me. Like dude get a grip

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 8:45 PM. Reason : ^]

5/13/2026 8:41:07 PM

Do you honestly believe that these companies care about the negative impact or would be honest about it? They're purposefully making the social aspect of it addictive, they're pushing data center development without any kind of environmental impact reports, and a whole host of other problems they're just casually ignoring.

People keep comparing this as the 'next industrial revolution', look how devastating that was to the environment when it ran rampant without safeguards. You can be pro-industry, but also think things like the EPA are a good idea.

5/13/2026 8:54:46 PM

^^You seem pretty dang whiny crybaby that a tool that didn't exist two weeks ago isn't available

"this is annoying so I'll just leave" seems like a normal adult response vs going to threads asking where your Ai went

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 8:59 PM. Reason : E]

5/13/2026 8:58:52 PM

Forgive me for asking clawai a question a soccer thread that pretty much one user frequents now anyways to see if it would answer. Lol good example dude. This whole "i'm gonna quit cause i hate AI" mumbo jumbo is pathetic imo. And i was all for it being only in one dedicated thread. Near the end i was kinda tired of it too. Mrgreen and you know who were abusing it and it wasn't fun anymore

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 9:05 PM. Reason : Add another note]

5/13/2026 9:03:23 PM

May 1st which was like the first hour or 2 i think it was even a thing

5/13/2026 9:08:05 PM

They have completely failed to addict me. I hate it.

5/13/2026 9:14:31 PM

I guess i'd ask what the end game is here? Just totally outlaw it? Stick our heads in the sand while other countries continue advancing? To be so against it...there must be some end game you desire?

5/13/2026 9:16:24 PM

How do you read what I wrote and think I want to outlaw it?

5/13/2026 9:34:23 PM

^^
Where do you get that from? Nobody is saying not to explore and build out the tools. I want to see them used to do things humans can't do and to solve problems that benefit humanity. Use the best tool for the job. I'm annoyed that it's polluting communities and services I used to enjoy (YouTube is a wasteland of shitty AI content that boomers watch and believe), and I'm doubly annoyed at being forced to use it at work when it's straight garbage for what I do. Not interested in talking to robots. Not interested in surrendering human agency. Happy to get fired over this at some point in the future. Happy to get replaced by it, but that's just a cruel joke right now.

5/13/2026 9:34:46 PM

^^i can't tell what you want because the idea of being so against it is foreign to me. Help me see the way

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 9:40 PM. Reason : ^fair. I just think yall should ask it more questions or something]

[Edited on May 13, 2026 at 9:41 PM. Reason : AI is like a better wikipedia]

5/13/2026 9:39:23 PM

Quote :

"Do you honestly believe that these companies care about the negative impact or would be honest about it? They're purposefully making the social aspect of it addictive, they're pushing data center development without any kind of environmental impact reports, and a whole host of other problems they're just casually ignoring. People keep comparing this as the 'next industrial revolution', look how devastating that was to the environment when it ran rampant without safeguards. You can be pro-industry, but also think things like the EPA are a good idea. "

I'm not sure what is hard to understand here. AI tooling is being rushed to production in places it simply is not ready

AI on Twitter? Produces CSAM and other problematic sexual content. Not viewed as a problem by many.
AI in the defense industry? Possibly produced faulty intelligence analysis leading to innocents losing their lives
AI Companies not making profit? Companies push addictive content in unethical ways
AI needing new data farms? Companies lobby to get new data centers without environmental impact studies and damage communities

I think AI is a fantastic tool! I use it pretty frequently at work and consider myself a decent user (custom agentic ai setup in a container). I think it should be invested in and improved!

However, the industry as a whole needs oversight much like the industrial community needed oversight to help reduce some of the massive damage the industrial revolution did.

Again, you can be for these protections, much like you can be for the things like the EPA or FDA, without being against manufacturing or the drug industry

5/13/2026 9:52:25 PM

I guess i feel like the US would be tying one hand behind their back if you had your way, and that the ends justify the means. The automatic dislike or avoidance by some is really off putting. Its like have an open mind, ask a few random questions you've always wondered about. Ask something silly. It can certainly provide useful information. You should be smart enough to see through the stupid stuff

5/13/2026 11:56:33 PM

I can just ask people if I want bad answers.

5/14/2026 5:07:33 AM

Dude i'm right there with you but i haven't ingratiated myself like that unfortunately

5/14/2026 5:20:58 AM

Quote :

" I guess i feel like the US would be tying one hand behind their back if you had your way, and that the ends justify the means. The automatic dislike or avoidance by some is really off putting. Its like have an open mind, ask a few random questions you've always wondered about. Ask something silly. It can certainly provide useful information. You should be smart enough to see through the stupid stuff"

Why do you keep talking to me like I simply need to understand what AI is or that my dislike is automatic? I've already told you I'm well aware of the capabilities and use it for far more advanced things than asking it silly questions.

You keep misrepresenting my position to one that's easier for you to attack.

5/14/2026 6:57:36 AM

Also, if I'm going to be honest, your defense of grok posting CSAM and other grossly inappropriate sexual content is simply "well the ends justify the means" is gross.

5/14/2026 7:00:16 AM

Quote :

"I'm not sure what is hard to understand here. AI tooling is being rushed to production in places it simply is not ready AI on Twitter? Produces CSAM and other problematic sexual content. Not viewed as a problem by many. AI in the defense industry? Possibly produced faulty intelligence analysis leading to innocents losing their lives AI Companies not making profit? Companies push addictive content in unethical ways AI needing new data farms? Companies lobby to get new data centers without environmental impact studies and damage communities I think AI is a fantastic tool! I use it pretty frequently at work and consider myself a decent user (custom agentic ai setup in a container). I think it should be invested in and improved! However, the industry as a whole needs oversight much like the industrial community needed oversight to help reduce some of the massive damage the industrial revolution did. Again, you can be for these protections, much like you can be for the things like the EPA or FDA, without being against manufacturing or the drug industry"

The harms you're pointing out are real: CSAM on Grok, the addictive design. The pace is insane. I just don't think the whole EPA/FDA regulator savior model actually fixes any of this. It's structural.

That hope regulators are gonna ride in and protect us is a myth. It doesn't hold up once you see how regulation actually works in practice. Your own example proves it. The EPA didn't show up until 1970, centuries after industrialization was already wrecking shit. It reacted once the bodies piled up and the data was undeniable. That's the only way protection has ever worked. Most of what we call "regulation" today is worse than useless. The FAA let Boeing self-certify the 737 MAX. That's not oversight. A third of new drugs still need major post-market safety fixes because nobody caught the risks upfront. Approval doesn't mean safe, it means we haven't found out yet. Incumbents use the rules to keep competitors out while the public thinks Dad's on the job.

For something brand new like LLMs and transformers, no agency could possibly know enough to regulate it ahead of time anyway. What actually works is people voting with their feet, market pressure, and lawsuits. Advertisers bolting from X over Grok? That's real feedback. Some bureaucrat with a checklist isn't. Aggree that it's getting shoved into every corner of life faster than anything I've ever seen. You can either cling to the protection myth and feel safe while the real risks pile up out of sight, or you stay skeptical and watch the data as it comes in.

Be right back, interviewing on a mennonite farm.

5/14/2026 2:03:32 PM

I mean that's the problem since Citizens United is that people voting with their feet don't dictate policy as much as money from corporations do. These corporations lobbying for these new data centers without an active plan to mitigate environmental issues or how the power grid will be able to handle that is insane.

These CEOs want money/power and are pretending they're doing it for the betterment of society. They're saying "oh well, it's up to someone else to solve the problems we're causing" without an ounce of introspection.

5/14/2026 2:12:05 PM

Quote :

"The EPA didn't show up until 1970, centuries after industrialization was already wrecking shit. It reacted once the bodies piled up and the data was undeniable. "

Exactly, maybe we should be a tad preventative rather than waiting for the bodies to pile up.

Quote :

"Most of what we call "regulation" today is worse than useless."

It's really not.

Quote :

"The FAA let Boeing self-certify the 737 MAX. That's not oversight. A third of new drugs still need major post-market safety fixes because nobody caught the risks upfront. Approval doesn't mean safe, it means we haven't found out yet."

[Edited on May 14, 2026 at 3:32 PM. Reason : a]

5/14/2026 3:32:03 PM

If corporate money captures the political process via Citizens United, it captures the regulators first. The agencies you're appealing to are the same agencies these CEOs lobby. You can't ask for a clean regulatory system while describing the political system as bought.

Corporate money is drowning out voter influence in elections and lobbying. It doesn't touch market exit. Advertisers leaving Twitter over grok wasn't a political process. It was direct buyer pressure and it worked. That's the feedback mechanism that works and it doesn't involve Machiavellian political rats having control of systems they don't understand.

Quote :

"Exactly, maybe we should be a tad preventative rather than waiting for the bodies to pile up."

You can't preventatively regulate something whose effects you don't yet understand and haven't manifested yet.

5/14/2026 4:41:00 PM

You can absolutely regulate the construction of new data centers, right?

Would you at least be in favor of environmental impact studies for new data center with regulations in place on how to mitigate their impact to the environment and power grid? Requiring some independent oversight of their construction would be great.

5/14/2026 4:58:27 PM

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/08/georgia-data-centers-water-00909988?gpp=DBAA

Quote :

"A data center drained 30M gallons of water unnoticed — until residents complained about low water pressure Residents in Fayetteville, Georgia, noticed low water pressure last year. The utility discovered two unaccounted-for water connections at one of the nation’s largest data center campuses."

5/16/2026 2:39:13 PM

Quote :

"The company ... touts a “closed-loop” cooling system, which it says does not consume water for cooling. ... The company said its water consumption was so high last year because of temporary construction-related activities, such as concrete work, dust control and site preparation. Once operational, the company said the data centers only will use water for domestic needs, such as bathrooms and kitchens. That will total the equivalent of what four U.S. households use per month, the spokesperson said. That may not happen for another few years, however. The company is still actively building and expanding its Fayetteville data center campus. It aims to finish in three to five years."

5/16/2026 3:34:30 PM

Gosh, how surprising

5/16/2026 3:37:27 PM

Why do you all hate progress?

5/16/2026 10:00:49 PM

gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet

5/16/2026 10:04:29 PM

Forgive me for not wanting to sell my kid's future so someone can have an AI voice tell them how profound they are

5/16/2026 10:11:48 PM

a few quick thoughts

https://thecitizen.com/2026/05/11/behind-fayettes-qts-water-controversy-a-missed-meter-8000-workers-and-a-massive-construction-project/

Quote :

"This is a small amount of water and it’s crazy for Robert Reich to act like this is a big deal."

Quote :

"Why are so many people afraid of data centers?"

[Edited on May 17, 2026 at 4:23 PM. Reason : the magic number balls aren't going away. kids better learn how to use them to improve their lives.]

5/17/2026 4:17:27 PM

Another AI commencement speech getting booed
https://bsky.app/profile/404media.co/post/3mm2ivguvq22x

5/17/2026 4:24:14 PM

https://time.com/7308925/elon-musk-memphis-ai-data-center/

Gee, I wonder why people are 'afraid of data centers'.

5/17/2026 4:40:36 PM

Quote :

"Would you at least be in favor of environmental impact studies for new data center with regulations in place on how to mitigate their impact to the environment and power grid? Requiring some independent oversight of their construction would be great."

::crickets::

5/17/2026 4:43:15 PM

Quote :

"Gee, I wonder why people are 'afraid of data centers'."

Quote :

"time.com"

Quote :

"elon musk"

5/17/2026 4:48:16 PM

What a profound reply

5/17/2026 4:51:12 PM

it's not the entire story of why, but it is a big part. and a part that too many can't recognize or acknowlege.

[Edited on May 17, 2026 at 4:54 PM. Reason : but i just came here to drop those links. back to building things with my tokens now]

5/17/2026 4:53:45 PM

^^
Wait a minute, is bbehe an AI?!

5/17/2026 4:54:37 PM

^^^^^ drove all night to move all our stuff to NC and flew back to Florida this morning.

If it's not used to enrich lobbying groups of smash the ability of upstarts to compete with Meta and Google sure. My bigger concern is job market in the medium term. How many over levered high income people are going to be unemployed and unable to pay Montessori tuition for their kids?

Who watches the watchers?

[Edited on May 17, 2026 at 4:55 PM. Reason : A]

5/17/2026 4:54:45 PM

Elon Musk doesn't exactly have a stellar track record, people are right to be skeptical of him.

The xAI data center is having a significant impact on the local environment that is likely having a negative effect on the health of locals, do you agree or disagree?

5/17/2026 4:56:32 PM

It looks like the only thing you can say for certain is:

- it raised NO2 levels 3% according to a time study with much higher localized readings
- they put double generators than they had permitted
- they are building a recycled water plant
- they are supposed to be getting cleaner turbines online
- the Memphis site is already one of the most polluted areas in the country

Significant is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Should they mitigate the effects of the community? Move them? Compensate them (but of moral hazard going on here)? Seems like they'd have to take the responsibility of everyone before them to solve the problem. They should likely do something to ensure it's not going to be worse. Legally they are responsible for incremental damage.

[Edited on May 17, 2026 at 7:45 PM. Reason : A]

5/17/2026 7:44:46 PM

Quote :

"they put double generators than they had permitted"

This isn't the first time that an Elon backed company just flaunted the regulations like this and yet some of his supporters still act like you're crazy to be skeptical of his claims. There is absolutely no reason to believe his promises about the recycled water plant or cleaner generators.

If adding oversight and inspections delays the construction of data centers, I am absolutely fine with that. Repeat offenders shouldn't be allowed to continually build.

5/17/2026 7:57:54 PM

https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/1tg6a1i/former_ceo_of_google_receives_massive_backlash/

Very striking video

I still believe the core problem isn’t ai or datacenters, it’s that we see companies and governments moving mountains to dump money into ai, while every other problem gets worse for average people— wealth inequality, housing affordability, suicide rates, educational attainment for some demographics, wars, healthcare access, now PlayStations and coffee prices skyrocketing. I think people see this as their only point of leverage— dump money into other problems or they gum up all the ai deployments.

The other thing is that we’re still in an in-between state of people seeing big benefits around ai. It’ll probably be another 2-3 years where things like customized medicines become available. Ai being able to do menial homework or write an email isn’t that compelling to average people, despite what this capability represents to the field of computer science.

5/17/2026 9:05:11 PM

nobody wants this shit, yet the most powerful people in the country keep pushing it and pushing it

it’s very obviously a bubble, and they’re going to keep pushing it

to believe otherwise is to believe that the money behind it cares more about people than profits, and that’s so blatantly absurd that it’s not worth arguing anymore

5/17/2026 10:22:31 PM

^^ and the lie of "we'll be in a post scarcity society just as soon as we give these billionaires more money"

There is just a copious amount of evidence that these assholes don't give a fuck about us, so why trust them?

It's pretty obvious that many of the people who trip over themselves to defend AI are just so addicted to the technology, of that 24/7 validation that they've lost all empathy for actual real people.

5/17/2026 10:35:23 PM

In all fairness, I hated everyone before AI

5/17/2026 10:44:02 PM