Crumb
c/technology · by Lemmynated@lemmy.zip · 132d

Kevin O'Leary says opponents of his Utah data center are 'professional protesters' — and some are powered by AI

https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-oleary-blames-paid-activists-for-utah-data-center-protests-2026-5

54 points · 24 comments · view on lemmy.world

24 Comments

CaptMurica@beehaw.org · 36 pts · 132d (2 replies)

I hate that guy and am not paid to do so.

XLE@piefed.social · 4 pts · 132d (1 reply)

Heck, you might be paying to support him. Anybody in the same state as a data center is indirectly, unavoidably subsidizing their electricity.

CaptMurica@beehaw.org · 2 pts · 132d

I’m sure that jerk is getting money from me somehow. Just like trying to get away from Bezos is simply not possible if you use the internet.

Steve@communick.news · 19 pts · 132d (8 replies)

Don't protesters show up in person?
How could they be AI?

LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 132d (7 replies)

He went a step further, suggesting the online backlash isn't entirely organic. "If you look at the social media around the Utah proposal, much of it is AI-generated," he said, calling that "hypocritical."

Sounds like he is blaming online opposition as AI. The protesters in person are ‘paid actors’ or something.

Steve@communick.news · 9 pts · 132d (4 replies)

Okay. The protesters aren't AI, just the memes.

And I should point that hypocrisy doesn't mean wrong.

LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 132d (3 replies)

I’m unclear on your point about hypocrisy?

Steve@communick.news · 6 pts · 132d (2 replies)

He's saying that using AI to oppose an AI datacenter is hypocritical.
I'm saying it could be, but that doesn't mean it's wrong.

LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 132d

Ah thanks for clarifying! I agree, though I read it like the opposition is AI generated, so not real, and this can be dismissed.

I…. Doubt it is, tbh. I mean, maybe people are creating bots to boost the message, but AI datacenter opposition is largely organic, people don’t have monetary gain to oppose them, it’s because they destroy the planet, and surrounding community. The noise and light pollution, greenhouse gas emissions from the power, and in most cases, water use. This case the article does mention ‘air cooling’

Whostosay@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 132d

I feel like it's more hypocritical to be against using AI to protest AI data centers.

Not a fan, but this seems like this guy wants his cake and to eat it too.

XLE@piefed.social · 2 pts · 132d
[ removed ]
Bluegrass_Addict@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 132d
[ removed ]
LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 16 pts · 132d

In a post on X and an accompanying video, O'Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, said concerns about the project — including its impact on air, water use, heat, and noise — are well understood by his team.

"I'm actually the only developer of data centers on earth that graduated from environmental studies, so I'm pretty aware of what these concerns are," he said in the clip, posted Tuesday.

Paul Morris, executive director of Utah's Military Installation Development Authority, which is overseeing the project, said at an April 24 board meeting that the data center is expected, once completed, to generate and consume more than twice the amount of energy currently used across the state of Utah.

The "Stratos" project in Utah will be powered by natural gas from the nearby Ruby Pipeline, according to the data center's publicly available fact sheet

So, if you believe him, he knows the impacts, he just doesn’t care? More than 2x the power of the rest of the state and powered by fossil fuels? Love that!

reddig33@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 132d

deleted

ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com · 8 pts · 132d

My AI won't be used for nefarious manipulative purposes, it's just all these other people that do that, I'm the good guy...

cheeseburger@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 132d

Someone needs to hit this clown with their boat.

paraphrand@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 132d (4 replies)

“I call anything I dislike AI.” Is becoming an obnoxious trope. In a wide range of contexts.

CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 132d

In this case, it's more like "I call anything I dislike AI except for my AI data center"

XLE@piefed.social · 4 pts · 132d (2 replies)

I've seen a pattern of AI superfans snidely accusing their critics of being LLMs or AI-like themselves. I'm not sure why they act like that: whether it's self-unawareness, trying to get under peoples' skin, or even to suggest anyone who disagrees is subhuman... But it's always sarcastic and weirdly common.

Tyrq@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 132d

Pretty sure that was the plan all along, divide people and further muddy the waters on what reality even is.

paraphrand@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 132d

Yeah, it’s becoming a bit of a disease that crosses ideological boundaries.

MNByChoice@midwest.social · 5 pts · 132d

I bet Kevin O'Leary has a house with enough land for a data center. Maybe he should live next to one.

turdburglar@piefed.social · 4 pts · 132d (1 reply)

sounds like a fun job. getting paid to protest assholes doing asshole things?

where do i apply to be a professional protestor?

nomy@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 132d

Only right wing "think tanks" are hiring unfortunately.

phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 131d

People hating me for destroying their state? They must be paid!

Of course he's lying, though I don't put it beyond him hat he is just so out of touch that he actually beliefs this shit

I want wealth caps, world wide, now! Nobody should have more than say 10 million dollars. You reach that, your next monies go 100% to taxes until you're below that again

That will solve ALL the issues were having with billionaires because billionaires Neill cease to exist

It will get governments so much money that can be used for a huge socialist system, free healthcare, free housing, free education...

Nobody will be poor, nobody will be super rich. Nobody will have to go hungry anymore..

sounds nice

otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 131d

That rasp-shaved scrote looks like he re-sanguinates at least weekly to keep up the human façade.