# The AI Execs Bet Wrong - What Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 4, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441 "2026-11-04T22:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/1 "2026-11-04T22:01:15Z")
Musk wasn’t the only Silicon Valley exec who supported the Republicans in the midterms. I think a majority did (of billionaires, not workers) to keep AI deregulated. Now that they lost big, the Democrats in Congress don’t owe them anything. So what next? Regulation of LLMs? More taxes on them? Antitrust? Or will the billionaires start funneling money into the Dems? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/2 "2026-11-04T22:37:56Z")
I heard, don’t know if its true, that this election was also a repudiation of data centers. A lot of politicians who ran on being anti-data center won. I have no idea how accurate that is. Seeing how ‘data center’ to a lot of people means environmental/noise pollution; wealth/power concentration, higher electricity bills and mass unemployment, I wouldn’t be surprised. Also regulation is a double edged sword. AI companies may promote regulations to create higher barriers to entry to prevent competition. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/3 "2026-11-04T22:53:14Z")
In California a proposition that would have made it easier to build data centers (43) got defeated. I think some Republicans in Ohio were bragging about bringing in a big data center, but I’m not aware of a lot of politicians in either party who were vocal for them. There was too much obvious bipartisan opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/4 "2026-11-05T00:15:41Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’m not aware of a lot of politicians in either party who were vocal for them Darline Graham was pretty pro-Data Center (of course she was, being an unquestioning Trump puppet). Ads called her “Data Center Darline”. > **[Dr. Annie Andrews demands answers after report of $1.5M data center cash for...](https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/dr-annie-andrews-demands-answers-after-report-of-15m-data-center-cash-for-graham)** > > On Tuesday, Andrews accused a pro-data center super PAC of putting another $1.5 million into ads supporting Graham. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/5 "2026-11-05T00:24:05Z")
It’s the wild west right now for AI and everything associated with it. The companies involved in this initial build-out are going to cozy-up to whomever is in power and nudge them to do whatever makes the company’s path to profitability easier. Yesterday it was Republicans, tomorrow Democrats. Of course, politicians being what they are, will li$ten. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/7 "2026-11-05T14:04:51Z")
It wasn’t that long ago they all supported the Dems and opposed Trump. They have no real loyalties or values beyond greed. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/8 "2026-11-05T14:32:30Z")
I’m going to suggest that some positives will come from this. (yeah…I know) For example, “data center” doesn’t inherently mean only one kind of design. There are lots of mechanisms for reducing or eliminating the need for drinking-quality water, reducing reliance on the grid (onsite power generation or efficiencies like using some waste heat) and reducing noise. Some of this was happening in the US – though of course it was a comparative wild west – but now I see a lot more pressure to move more in that direction. Unless AI collapses completely (which still looks quite likely, but not bet your life on it), this is the direction we need to go. Just doing NIMBY with regard to data centers is just going to mean wasteful data centers still get built, just far away and out of sight. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/9 "2026-11-05T14:42:49Z")
Ironically moves against data centers may play in Musk’s favor, as SpaceX is betting huge with Starship to support putting the data centers in orbit despite all the problems with that concept already discussed. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/10 "2026-11-05T14:43:00Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Just doing NIMBY with regard to data centers is just going to mean wasteful data centers still get built, just far away and out of sight Isn’t that the point? They shouldn’t be near residential areas. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/11 "2026-11-05T14:52:13Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Isn’t that the point? They shouldn’t be near residential areas. Not in my view, no. Or at least not the only point. I don’t want data centers driving up energy cost, water restrictions and/or having environmental impact regardless of where they are. I’d agree though that they shouldn’t be right next to residential areas, so being pushed a bit farther out would be a positive. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/12 "2026-11-05T14:56:39Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Or will the billionaires start funneling money into the Dems? Of course they will. By and large, companies can’t actually buy a politician. (Not that it never happens, but it’s not really that common.) What they can buy is access to that politician. And access to push their agenda, and explain why their agenda is good, is very valuable. That’s why most large companies and industries hire lobbyists. I used to work for a company that had a sizable political action fund. (Which was technically all donations of individuals. It’s just that 100% of those individuals worked for the company. And above a certain grade level, you were pressured to contribute. Although not everyone did.) They made contributions to politicians of both parties. It was an insurance company, so they were mostly interested in politicians who had oversight of financial matters. They were open (to employees) about who they tried to buy, and the split between D and R. And sometimes during the first Trump administration, when politics got really ugly on a personal level, they even gave an option for employees to earmark money they donated to only be used to bribe (i mean, um, support the campaigns of) politicians of the party of their choice. But will the AI companies give campaign contributions to whoever is in power? Yes, of course. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/13 "2026-11-05T16:22:52Z")
Mandate no water loss and no more noise than a warehouse of the same size and the public opposition will evaporate. The bros have been able to get away with dumping all those costs on the locals. Make the bros eat the costs and oddly enough the stuff will still get built. Privatize profits and socialize costs is the RW way. Privatizing both would be an excellent start to a more just economy for all. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/14 "2026-11-05T16:31:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mandate no water loss and no more noise than a warehouse of the same size and the public opposition will evaporate. I think some of the opposition is from people who distrust AI, rather than who have specific concerns with the physicality of data centers. But i agree with your suggestions, and think that is an appropriate degree of regulation, along with whatever the usual traffic, etc., zoning says. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/15 "2026-11-05T16:45:39Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But will the AI companies give campaign contributions to whoever is in power? Yes, of course. There’s some pretty good analysis on the flip-flops, and also breaking it down by workers (who were and still are predominantly D) vs the execs/leaders (who are more willing to flip flop): SF Chronicle: [Client Challenge](https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/tech-worker-democrat-republican-22378308.php) And ironically WAPO: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/billionaires-politics-money-influence/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/billionaires-politics-money-influence/) > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mandate no water loss and no more noise than a warehouse of the same size and the public opposition will evaporate. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > an appropriate degree of regulation, along with whatever the usual traffic, etc., zoning says. On paper this sounds good, but I think in the few localities that have tried to do this the “right way”, they usually end up getting betrayed, backstabbed, or bribed. The agreements and regulations are pretty worthless when there’s not enough actual enforcement after the fact, and the data centers are backed by huge conglomerates that can easily bribe their way around and push through regulatory changes or astroturf entire offices or councils their way. The YouTube journalism outfit (very left leaning though, be warned) More Perfect Union covers a lot of this stuff: [When Big Tech Moves In: The AI Data Center Crisis](https://perfectunion.us/data-centers/) By virtue of being able to jurisdiction-shop around easily and being much bigger than most local and some state governments, the law doesn’t really stand a chance against these companies. _Maybe_ at the federal level, but that’s assuming the Dems don’t get bought out (which they will be), _and_ that they are able to align the Executive and Judiciary with the people’s wants in a way that lasts more than a cycle — they’ve traditionally been terrible at abusing executive power even when they have it… And worst case, it’s all too easy for the companies to just outsource the data centers abroad, like we do for all other industrialization. Latency isn’t as big a deal with AI (since inference takes seconds anyway) as it is with other data center types… but I guess data sovereignty and industrial espionage are bigger concerns here, at least in this early phase. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/16 "2026-11-05T16:49:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mandate no water loss and no more noise than a warehouse of the same size and the public opposition will evaporate. I’d add reducing tax incentives and subsidies to that list. Possibly eliminating them entirely. It’s one thing if a center brought in hundreds off jobs but even a big center might create only a dozen or two dozen permanent jobs. There won’t be anybody doing extra business with that city or county because of it, either. They’ll all be remotely accessing it. And with little to no increased tax base from the attendant nearby economic activity, like retail, hotels, restaurants, or housing. What would the public be getting for its investment of subsidized power, water, and reduced taxes? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/17 "2026-11-05T16:50:44Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > What would the public be getting for its investment of subsidized power, water, and reduced taxes? If we [nationalized the companies](https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-ai-public-ownership-57b9f20d96490083e2749adba0f13977)… ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/18 "2026-11-05T16:51:18Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mandate no water loss and no more noise than a warehouse of the same size and the public opposition will evaporate. I think that would require technology we don’t currently have. It’s kind of like saying “mandate inertial dampener technology in football helmets, and opposition to the NFL due to CTE concerns will evaporate”. There’s also the question of possible massive drains on the local power grid. Not to mention air pollution, since sometimes data centers will run banks of diesel generators to augment their power needs. I’ve been seeing on the news lately a series of reports on some local legislative glitch in Virginia that allowed 11 data canters to be built surrounding a school, and not only is it like trying to learn right next to an airport, noise-wise, one of the parents filmed noxious clouds of black smoke emanating from diesel generators he said had been running all day, every day for weeks. > **[11 data centers and 264 diesel generators surround this elementary school. Is...](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/11-data-centers-264-diesel-generators-surround-elementary-school-safe-rcna603796)** > > Diesel generators spew air pollutants that can cause health problems, especially for young people and the elderly, experts say. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/19 "2026-11-05T17:07:26Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I think that would require technology we don’t currently have. That’s not the case though. As I alluded upthread there are facilities that don’t use potable water, and are relatively quiet, even in America. The only reason they aren’t all like this is cost. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/20 "2026-11-05T17:08:13Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And sometimes during the first Trump administration, when politics got really ugly on a personal level, they even gave an option for employees to earmark money they donated to only be used to bribe (i mean, um, support the campaigns of) politicians of the party of their choice. Interesting. I gave to my company’s PAC for many years, then one day saw (on one of those sites like Open Secrets) that they’d given to an incredibly odious anti-trans politician, and so I didn’t turn in my annual ‘pledge’ card, and called the guy running it to tell him why I wasn’t sending it in. If they had offered a split while I was still there I likely would have still said no, I mean, cash is fungible and it would be going to him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441/21 "2026-11-05T17:13:19Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > I think that would require technology we don’t currently have. > > That’s not the case though. As I alluded upthread there are facilities that don’t use potable water, and are relatively quiet, even in America. > > **The only reason they aren’t all like this is cost.** (Bolding mine). Ok, but realistically that’s almost the same thing. I’m guessing the facilities that use less water and are quieter are pretty small scale? We have the technology to grow meat in a lab now, but, despite the CT crowd believing otherwise, it will be years before the process can be scaled such that it’s inexpensive enough to widely commercialize it. Even if it would currently be possible to scale up quiet, environmentally low-impact data centers and make a percentage of X profits vs. a water-guzzling, loud center, greed will win out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ai-execs-bet-wrong-what-now/1034441.md?page=2)