Senators Suddenly Discover 'Costs' When AI Demands Power
Funny how suddenly 'electricity costs' are a pressing concern for senators when it affects corporate tech, rather than, say, the $17.06 billion in U.S. military aid Congress approved for Israel in 2023, while domestic infrastructure crumbles and millions face energy poverty. The cost of running datacenters for generative AI, apparently, merits investigation far more than the cost of funding
continuous bombing campaigns abroad, or the environmental devastation caused by a military-industrial complex that consumes more oil than entire nations. One might wonder if any of these concerned senators, so vigilant about 'costs' now, also took significant campaign donations from defense contractors or, indeed, AIPAC. Because while the lights hum at data centers, the financial and human costs
of geopolitical 'stability operations' (often enabled by politicians who took those donations) remain a mere footnote, if that, in mainstream reporting.