I posted earlier about How AI Reverses the Political Logic of the Internet
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221200211
On the same site, I found
How AI Can Support Democracy Movements
https://www.techpolicy.press/how-ai-can-support-democracy-movements/
This is very long and I need to thoroughly read both of them.
Short answer is that we average folk have basically no influence on AI data center growth with one exception.
We can fight locally to stop these resource devouring monsters from popping up in our backyards.
And I remember posting something, or others posted, on how we can all support local efforts to do so.
Senator Bernie Sanders is very vocal on this issue and you can look up references here on DU and elsewhere.
Bernie Sanders rallies with labor leaders for AI protections and tells oligarchs, Go to hell.
https://www.theverge.com/policy/913475/bernie-sanders-rallies-with-labor-leaders-for-ai-protections-and-tells-oligarchs-go-to-hell
These states don't want data centers in their backyards
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/05/data-centers-midterms-state-bans-bills-ai
Tell Congress: Pass the Bernie Sanders - AOC AI Data Center Moratorium Act
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-pass-the-bernie-sanders-aoc-ai-data-center-moratorium-act/
Lots to unpack here.
GO FOR IT.
We DO have influence here, even if we don't have billions to give and take.
I personally see AI computing starting to migrate to the desktop, and there will be no "consumer" money to be had, only from big companies and of course, government spy agencies.
Like ICE concentration camps, we can stop them locally. Read the first article I quoted. It's all about concentration, exactly. Concentrating power and money and influence over us.