News
Humanoid robot begs in China for 'electricity bills,' and passersby scan to pay
1+ hour, 40+ min ago (301+ words) A recent video from Chengdu, China, shows a humanoid robot soliciting donations for its "electricity bills," with some onlookers reportedly even sending money by scanning a QR code. According to Futurism, the Unitree G1's battery lasts about two hours per…...
'Lost voices from the ancient world': Scroll restored after being buried by Vesuvius for 2, 000 years
3+ hour, 24+ min ago (474+ words) A carbonized scroll buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius had remained unreadable. Researchers now report that one Herculaneum papyrus has been read across all of its surviving text through virtual unwrapping alone, without physically opening the scroll. At the…...
'Is this a joke?' Arizona residents outraged over proposed data center next to neighborhood
6+ hour, 26+ min ago (384+ words) "There is not enough land and water to sustain both people and data centers." A new social media post is fueling outrage in and around Marana, Arizona, after a local candidate shared images of what they say is another data…...
New Jersey lawmakers move to end AI data center tax breaks and shift $125 million to cut bills
12+ hour, 30+ min ago (485+ words) Complaints about the industry have surfaced in multiple places. New Jersey may soon stop offering a key tax break for AI data centers, with lawmakers instead looking to steer remaining authorized funds toward easing power costs for residents. As the…...
Louisiana tries to keep data centers off residents' power bills as Landry courts them
15+ hour, 6+ min ago (637+ words) A new executive order from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry aims to attract AI-powering data centers to the state while protecting residents from the higher electricity bills that can accompany the energy-intensive facilities. According to the Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Economic Development…...
New York town freezes giant data centers until 2029 as residents warn of soaring power bills
17+ hour, 29+ min ago (587+ words) The area has been affected by three Superfund sites. After residents gathered outside East Fishkill Town Hall chanting, "We can't drink data," local officials voted unanimously to put the brakes on large data centers. The three-year freeze reflects a growing…...
Texas grid is swamped by data center power requests 5x its all-time peak demand
17+ hour, 42+ min ago (590+ words) Regular customers should not have to absorb the infrastructure costs. Texas is quickly becoming a major hub for the AI boom, but the massive electricity demand tied to that growth is now colliding with rising concerns about the state's power…...
In Phoenix, workers build data centers that could make their own neighborhoods 4 degrees hotter
19+ hour ago (590+ words) Phoenix's expanding data center boom, one Arizona advocate says, could intensify heat in the neighborhoods around those projects. The concern comes as extreme temperatures already make outdoor construction work in the city a matter of survival. In a commentary for…...
Utah Senate president loses primary as voter fury over data centers starts reshaping politics
20+ hour, 54+ min ago (423+ words) "Since the pandemic, affordability has become a key issue in U. S. politics." Opposition to data center growth linked to artificial intelligence turned into a voting issue in Utah. That became clear when Senate President J. Stuart Adams was defeated in his Republican…...
Minnesota council backs data center freeze after 700 residents petitioned
23+ hour, 20+ min ago (405+ words) It would draw about five megawatts daily, or roughly the electricity use of up to 4, 800 homes. One Minnesota community is temporarily pausing all new data center projects while officials weigh residents' concerns and the possibility of legal action from a…...