I read about how local residents block data centers for billions of dollars - and I see not just a conflict of "progress vs. Luddites". I see a question that is usually asked too late: who actually pays for the AI infrastructure?🗿 Formally, AI is chats and pictures. In reality, these are gigawatts of energy, millions of gallons of water and electricity bills, which are growing by 76% in a single state, because one data center has been built nearby. It's interesting that both sides say kind of reasonable things. Some - "we need infrastructure, otherwise there will be no growth". Others - "we are not against AI, we are against paying for it with our air and water". 843 protest groups across the country are not a marginal phenomenon. This is a signal that the speed of construction has overtaken the willingness to negotiate with people who live nearby. $32 trillion of investments by 2050 sounds impressive. The question is how much of this amount someone calculated in terms of human consequences, not only in terms of ROI 🫣 How can humanity pay for rapid progress? The question remains open...