They’re moving forward with the beginning of something that needs to be looked at very, very carefully. They may not think about it, but it needs to be nipped in the bud before it can go further. This is not a small thing, no matter who in the Pentagon started it. With gratitude to Raw Story:
Congressional lawmakers are hitting the brakes on the Pentagon’s efforts to quietly move forward with powering AI, per Politico. The Department of Defense is already leasing land to private companies to build data centers proposed for military bases, but the move is drawing scrutiny from members of Congress, according to reporting by Politico.
Blessings to Congress for catching this thing before it got too far. Data centers are a huge issue, due to requirements and more. They need to be controlled and not haphazardly put up where there’s land available. This is not something anyone would want as a neighbor, no matter who or what it was for. AI needs to be controlled; remember the battle with the Pentagon, or, namely, Hegseth and Anthropic? Even the thought of uncontrolled AI is chilling, because people or companies could do almost anything. How about the police who have your face on record for every traffic light you pass, even if you’re not speeding or running the red light? You could get ticketed even though you hadn’t done anything wrong. And having your face on file in general. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.
“It’s just not right for every community,” Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) said, per Politico. “Seemingly, the other side doesn’t want to just admit the reality around resource consumption.” Congressional lawmakers are mostly worried about the amount of water and energy that data centers require. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) proposed amendments to the House’s version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would check the development of data centers by the Pentagon before it accelerates, Politico reported.
They consume an incredible amount of water and power. Plus, look at Elon Musk when he needs more and more to support his AI? He just keeps building and building and building without any regard for the needs of the communities next door. The drain on their resources must be incredible. And no one has thought to look into the needs and see if there is an alternate way to support them. Musk doesn’t care, so he won’t even think about it. The Pentagon might not care about it either, especially with Hegseth at the top. Having Congress put the brakes on and keep control over these things may be the best idea. *Someone* has to keep track.
Garamendi noted that AI data centers are “extraordinary consumers of both energy and water” and “the question arises as to whether they should be on military bases.” Levin added, “A bigger concern is that we haven’t received the appropriate brief” from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or the Pentagon “about any of this.” One provision sought by lawmakers would require the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the impacts of military data centers on nearby communities before construction starts, according to Politico. Another would require DOD to publish annual reports on data center impacts. “This Congress has an obligation to defend our people,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) said. “Not to stick our heads in the sand or pretend it’s 1946.”
BOOM. Time for the Pentagon to put on the brakes, too. This needs Congress and the Pentagon together, working on the feasibility of a center. It’s a massive use (waste) of resources. What can the area support? Does the Pentagon have someone trying to code their own AI without brakes? This needs to be done right, no matter how much of a hurry Hegseth is in. We should send them a note about Elon’s data center. They might find it useful. In the meantime, Congress has put on the brakes so the Pentagon needs to brake. And they need to look at how much has already been spent on getting the land itself. Let’s be generous and say the Pentagon was trying to slide one by, even though we (probably) know who is slavering for it. Since when are data centers military?
See you tomorrow!
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