The Data Center Revolt: John Cassidy & Faiz Shakir on People vs. AI Oligarchs

Video Description

An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. People across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires, and telling their elected officials to slow down or stop new big tech projects for firms like OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft. Data from a 2025 Pew study shows that only 17 percent of Americans think AI will have a positive impact over the next 20 years. But it’s a David vs. Goliath battle. Today’s guests say AI expansion is not a red or blue issue; it’s about who gets to decide how human and natural resources are distributed, who controls the technology, and who stands to benefit. Faiz Shakir is the Founder and Executive Director of the labor-focused news platform More Perfect Union, and serves as a political advisor for Senator Bernie Sanders. John Cassidy, staff writer at the New Yorker, is the author of the recent book, “Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI”, in which he draws our attention back to the Luddites, the 19th-century workers whose revolt deserves our closer attention. Plus, our correspondent Jonathan Klett's coverage of a shocking scene at a public comment meeting in Wisconsin when a local woman was arrested and dragged away. If AI is the new face of capitalism, what is the new alternative? “Luddites, when I was growing up, was a term of abuse. It was people who were sort of antediluvians and didn't understand the modern world. . . . They understood the modern world as it was in their times perfectly, and they saw it was moving against them, and they saw that the political system wasn't coming to their defense.” - John Cassidy “. . . There's more and more pushback, which hopefully portends the possibility that a lot of these communities can strike better deals if they are going to have data centers. There's no reason why we can't be asking that the teachers are well paid, that the electricity rates don't go up, that we have decent affordable housing in those communities. That is all possible because we're playing with incredible amounts of dollars and deep-pocketed people . . . ” - Faiz Shakir Guests: John Cassidy: Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI Faiz Shakir: Founder & Executive Director, More Perfect Union; Political Advisor & Former Campaign Manager, Senator Bernie Sanders Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this week's episode on major podcast platforms (Available 2/4): https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com. Podcast subscribers also receive the full, uncut conversation from this week's show: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-data-center-revolt-john-cassidy-faiz-shakir-on-people-vs-ai-oligarchs-full-uncut-conversation ✏️SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for Show Notes and learn more about this week's episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/149533511 📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP* “Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI” by John Cassidy: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/9780374601089 (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. LF&F is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Laura Flanders & Friends is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners. 📩Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including a weekly newsletter and commentaries by Laura Flanders, subscribe on Substack: https://lauraflanders.substack.com/ Follow the show and Laura Flanders on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/lauraflanders.org https://bsky.app/profile/gritlaura.bsky.social DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate or consider becoming a PATREON partner at https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriends 🔔Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network. CREDITS: Executive Producer: Laura Flanders Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel Senior Producer: Jeremiah Cothren Senior Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor Senior Video Editor: David Neumann Video Editor: Veronica Delgado Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper Development Director: Sarah Miller Communications Director: Janet Hernandez Wisconsin Segment: Jonathan Klett: Director, Editor, Camera Photo of John Cassidy by Nancy Crampton. Thumbnail photo by More Perfect Union.