The Populist Backlash against AI Begins

As expected, a populist reaction against the unnerving potential of advanced artificial intelligence is taking shape, and the emergence of data centers has become a focal point for this unrest.

This response is understandable. Time and again, people react to significant, unasked-for changes with the thought, “Hey, didn’t anyone think to ask me?” The populist impulse in America is deeply rooted in our culture.

People don’t enjoy feeling overshadowed by others, and, even more so, they resent being told that their feelings are invalid. There’s this pervasive sense that, perhaps, we might have contributed to our own feeling of inferiority.

Historian Alexis de Tocqueville grasped how envy and resentment play out within democratic societies. When everyone seems relatively equal, someone’s success can feel like a personal blow, igniting feelings of inadequacy.

This dynamic amplifies in a “global town square” where so much of our time is spent seeing others’ success unfold in real-time, further intensifying the feeling of being left behind.

Young, ambitious men today — reminiscent of my own youthful musings — are perhaps searching for a blend of Nietzschean and Christian beliefs that could provide both confidence and humility. This search is driven by the recognition that both Nietzsche and Jesus cautioned against harboring resentment.

While the gap between Nietzsche’s idea of the Übermensch and Christ is vast, both philosophies acknowledge that living with resentment ultimately degrades a person’s character. This is why the backlash against data centers has quickly escalated from mere discontent into a kind of spiritual struggle.

More Americans, from various political affiliations, are beginning to label data centers not just as unsightly or disruptive but as malevolent — embodying the sinister aspects of technology and the presumed moral failure of those who create it.

On the secular left, where justice is treated almost as a religious calling, the pursuit of superhuman capabilities in tech appears dubious. On the spiritual left, some suggest that the evolution toward post-humanity feels unnatural and spiritually corrosive.

On the right, those who hold conservative spiritual views often proceed with caution: if something seems threatening, it’s viewed as potentially nefarious. Meanwhile, those with stronger religious convictions are reminded of humanity’s fallen nature and the historical perspective that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Everyone seems to search for wrongdoing — starting with themselves. And in America, where feeling “less than” can be seen as a social sin, the drive to judge often overwhelms us. It’s surprising, then, that those in the tech field didn’t foresee the backlash that’s now crashing over them.

But perhaps this is just the beginning of our contemplation, not its conclusion. Many in the tech industry genuinely believe their intentions are noble, acting with what they perceive to be the greater good in mind.

Dismissing this notion could lead to a cycle of resentment that might eclipse even the nightmarish scenarios our imaginations are quick to conjure.

The saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but it shouldn’t lead us to disregard those intentions as inconsequential. Rather, it should prompt us to comprehend the deep-seated human desire for goodness — particularly in those whose work may seem dangerous.

For Christians especially, there’s a reminder that all of creation yearns for unity with God, and that even perverse desires can signify a yearning for what is right that has gone astray.

This perspective doesn’t excuse reckless scientists, nor does it suggest we must accept all advancements unquestioningly. Rather, if we approach the grand plans of our tech innovators without fear, we might discern in their work a reflection of an inherent human wish for purification.

As economic pressures leave many feeling trapped by financial burdens, there’s a desperate search for something authoritative enough to make us feel cleansed and renewed.

“Hey,” many in tech say, “There’s an app for that!”

This idea resonates, yet when time feels constrained, we might be tempted by shortcuts — imagining a perfectly crafted solution for our very human dilemmas.

If we solely condemn one another without acknowledging the divine essence in everyone, then perhaps it’s not just the data centers that could become divisive; we could be sowing the seeds of our own discord.