In the AI evolution, the debate of where, how, and to what extent this technology should be implemented has created a vicious and complex debate in government buildings around the world.
In Chile, officials find themselves at odds with their constituents over a new plan to create data centers around the country.
In a New York Times article, more than a dozen experts, activists, and politicians weighed in on how the country navigates capitalizing on the AI boom without alienating the general public.
Those pro-AI argue that the technology offers a unique opportunity for an economic boom in a relatively modest economy. Plus, the practical uses of the technology could help innovate and expedite processes in other industries.
Critics, on the other hand, say the environmental cost of building data centers won't outweigh the potential economic benefit for the region.
AI is "being turned into a new kind of fetishism," said Rodrigo Cavieres, a member of the Socio-Environmental Community Movement for Water and Land, which protests big tech's influence in the country. "Data centers are being given priority over the population."
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Chile's capital of Santiago has become central to the AI conversation as the geographic hub of the country's 33 data centers, where vulnerable ecosystems have been tapped for new construction.
In response, the government suggested construction away from the city further north, though activists raised concerns about the affected Atacama Desert, which has already seen ecological strife from mining practices and fast-fashion waste sites.
Protesters have also taken issue with the astronomical water usage needed for these campuses to cool down the data systems — particularly as the already arid region weathers a drought.
Tech giant Google continues to scout opportunities in countries like Chile, promising new jobs and "community offset" incentives to convince local neighborhoods to back new data centers.
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Financial assistance for job training 💰 However, in areas like Cerrillos, Google has pulled plans due to pushback from the community, who argued via environmental filings that the water usage needed wasn't something they can forfeit.
"We're not opposed to artificial intelligence — it's something we have to develop," Tania Rodríguez, a Cerrillos resident who pushed back against the now-defunct plans, said.
"We [just] need to be efficient in how we use our natural resources, because that's vital for human survival."
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