'To us, it's theft': Georgia family says AI boom could force them off family land

In Georgia, the infrastructure buildout behind artificial intelligence is becoming a property fight for some households. Land purchase offers are showing up with a stark implication: saying no may not be enough to keep a family property.

What's happening?

To handle what it describes as rapidly rising electricity demand, Georgia Power is planning a new transmission line. According to CBS News, Georgia Power expects roughly 70% to 80% of the electricity on the line to go to data centers, with about 20% to 30% supporting the state's rising residential and commercial demand.

The project would require acquiring more than 300 parcels of land, including homes. One of the affected properties belongs to Georgia homeowner Ansley Brown's family.

Brown told CBS News the home had been in her family since childhood and was meant to become "true generational wealth."

Brown said her mother eventually agreed to sell because Georgia Power could otherwise try to take the land through eminent domain — a process that allows private property to be taken with compensation for projects deemed to have a public purpose.

"To us it's theft. It's literally a billion dollar company stealing land from smaller people, people who can't fight back. We don't have the money to fight Georgia Power," Brown said.

In comments to CBS News, Georgia Power spokesperson Holly Lovett said eminent domain "is always … a last resort for us and it's something we never want to do."

Why does it matter?

The dispute reflects a growing tension behind the AI race: While the technology may seem to live in the cloud, it depends on physical infrastructure on the ground.

Massive data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, and utilities across the country are moving quickly to add power lines, substations, and new generation capacity to keep up with demand.

Brown told CBS News, "You can't tear down 35 miles of rural Georgia and it not hurt something or somebody. And to say that you're doing it in the name of data centers is a slap in the face to us, our community, our animals."

What's being done?

Georgia Power says it has tried to manage the process responsibly. The company told CBS News it has "worked hard to be transparent, negotiate in good faith, and "make the process as easy as possible."

The utility also said it keeps its customer roster private for safety and security reasons, meaning it has not identified the specific data center operators behind the additional demand.

CBS News reported that Brown has been sharing her experience on TikTok and posting stories from others in similar situations. She said that while it is too late to save her own family home, she hopes others can avoid the same outcome.

For Brown, though, the loss is still bound up in family and place: "It's ours. It's our family. We belong here."

"My mom wants an apology," she added. "She wants an apology from Georgia Power. That's it."

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