Data Center Celebration Interrupted by Protesters in Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON — A lively celebration of data centers unfolded Saturday night at the PubKey bar in Washington, D.C., despite the efforts of protesters attempting to interrupt the proceedings.
During the Data After Dark event, which was organized by various figures including Pirate Wires reporter Jonas Du and R Street Institute tech fellow Ed Tarnowski, four protesters managed to take the stage amidst the festivities. The gathering, which attracted hundreds, saw attendees chanting “USA” as security removed the demonstrators from the venue.
One protester, while being escorted out, expressed his opposition to data centers, stating, “I wanna live. Our only fucking home [planet Earth]. Just so you can get rich. It’s despicable. It’s fucking despicable.”
A woman in the group also attempted to make her voice heard, flipping off attendees while shouting through the noise about water usage and environmental harm. “Thank you for using all of our water. You are killing the world,” she yelled, struggling to be heard over the crowd’s chants.
“How is this ‘USA’?” she demanded as the crowd continued to chant.
Before security intervened, two other protesters interrupted the speakers, but they too were removed from the stage. Analytics from the situation indicated that the crowd was largely unsympathetic to their concerns.
Matt Kita, a Bitcoin investor attending the event, mentioned that he started a chant to drown out the protesters, proclaiming, “We will re-industrialize and we will win.”
Following the disruption, R Street Institute analyst Adam Thierer addressed the attendees, framing the debate on data centers as a matter of “makers or takers.” He stated, “We know who doesn’t believe in freedom; it’s the kind of freaks who were just up here charging the stage.” Thierer posited that the discussion centers on those who support innovation versus those who see it as harmful.
Disruption Expected
Du shared that they anticipated some form of disruption at such a large gathering, commenting that “no one could hear what they were saying. They were blabbering some nonsense.” He noted the significance of the chants, linking them to the ongoing competition in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
After the initial toasts, another protester approached Du and warned that future events would be targeted for similar disruptions. Du, recalling the interaction, said, “I laughed him off.”
Interestingly, Du described the criticism against data centers as indicative of what he called “slopulism,” which refers to easily stirred populist emotions surrounding trending issues, much like the minimal effort required to produce “AI slop.” He asserted that exaggerating the negative impacts of data centers is simple, while presenting their benefits is a tougher task.
Critics Remain Unmoved
Du dismissed Kremer’s framing as “cherry-picking,” arguing that they can’t simplify the issue as a battle between political figures, stressing the necessity for balanced AI policy discussions. He pointed out the variety of attendees, including some who worked in both major political parties to highlight the discussions’ bipartisan nature.
Given, who coordinated logistical efforts for the increasingly popular event, underscored the need for representation in the pro-data center conversation, suggesting that the louder anti-data center voices often drown out quieter supporters.
Polls Reflect Skepticism
Critics also suggested that the turnout at such an event does not necessarily indicate public support for data centers. Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of the Alliance for Secure AI, noted that data centers face significant unpopularity despite this gathering, mentioning recent polling data that reflects widespread negative sentiment.
Du acknowledged that while supporters of data centers do have a challenging road ahead due to public perception, the gathering was an “organizing opportunity” amidst a current public relations crisis in tech. Recent polls indicated that a significant majority of Americans see data centers as detrimental to the environment and home energy costs.
Amid ongoing public concerns about zoning and resources, Given argued that the solutions could be navigated through democratic processes, emphasizing the advantages of data centers over their drawbacks.
Event Surpasses Expectations
The initial vision for the event was relatively small, but it quickly gained momentum online, with over 1,000 people added to the guest list on the platform Partiful, leading to around 600 attendees throughout the evening. Du reported that the line outside the venue became so extensive it wrapped around the block.
The celebration included engaging features such as an AI photo booth, themed cocktails, and live music, all aiming to promote pro-data center arguments through creative drink names tied to industry innovations.
The success of this event has inspired plans for similar gatherings in other cities, indicating the ongoing competition amongst views on data centers and AI.
