Washington Post called out on op-ed in favor of massive data center construction

An opinion piece published in the Washington Post is being deemed "blatant propaganda" by some social media users for alleging that halting data center construction will make artificial intelligence accessible only to the wealthy.

What's happening?

In an X post from More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS), the newsroom wrote, "The Washington Post is at it again," sharing a screenshot of the newspaper's headline.

The headline of the opinion piece — written by AI company Palantir's Anthony Bak and Mehdi Alhassani — reads, "Halting data center construction will entrench inequality."

One X user described the Post publishing the March 24 piece as "totally pathetic," theorizing that Jeff Bezos, who purchased the newspaper in 2013, is "using his paper to help himself out and all his big tech buddies." 

Another user called for more nuance around the topic of data center construction, writing that the facilities powering AI are "actually a win for democracy" because they can "help give the general public access to high-quality information and efficient data storage."

Why is this discourse important?

AI is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives — but not without concerns and controversy. While it holds promise in areas like reducing waste and monitoring diseases, ethical considerations about "AI slop" and disruptions to labor markets and learning continue to emerge. 

The growth and ubiquity of AI have led to the rapid construction of the data centers required to power it. In many parts of the world, these facilities have become public nuisances. 

Data centers are noisy and consume significant resources, such as energy, causing electric bills to skyrocket. Concerns about these facilities' excessive water use are also growing, with some researchers projecting that data centers will consume as much water as New York City each day.

What's being done?

Stakeholders across the U.S. have been working on legislation to regulate AI and its infrastructure. For example, according to Americans for Responsible Innovation, 260 state lawmakers from all 50 states signed a letter in November 2025 that "urged Congress to oppose a ten-year moratorium on state AI laws included in the budget and reconciliation bill."

At the community level, residents across the country are pushing back against unregulated data center construction and AI-driven resource depletion. 

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Residents of Monterey Park, California, for example, protested and halted construction of a data center that would have been the size of four football fields. Meanwhile, a Kentucky family recently made headlines for turning down a $26 million offer to sell their farmland to buyers to build an AI data center. Family member Ida Huddleston told the press, "They call us old stupid farmers, you know, but we're not."

The societal and environmental impacts of AI and the data centers that power it are complex, with potential for both positive and negative effects. Understanding this balance is set to prove crucial for shaping future technological developments and the laws that could regulate them.

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