Bombs and Porn Are Bad Reasons to Build More Data Centers
Emotional Spotlighting
How They Deceive You
Propaganda
Heavily misleading due to factual errors on data center details, unverified atrocity claims like AI bombs killing children, and biased framing of government actions.
Main Device
Emotional Spotlighting
Spotlights sensational unverified harms like AI-generated child porn and school bombings to evoke outrage against data centers and AI expansion.
Archetype
Progressive climate activist
Author Kate Aronoff, a Green New Deal supporter writing for left-leaning outlets, critiques tech/AI through an anti-capitalist, eco-socialist lens.
This article deceives by blending solid trends with factual errors, unverified claims, and sensational emotional appeals to demonize data centers and AI.
Writer's Worldview
“Progressive climate activist”
10 findings · 3 omissions · 14 sources compared
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Narrative Analysis
Verdict: Kate Aronoff's article effectively highlights verified data center construction delays and growing local opposition but is weakened by factual errors, unverified claims, and loaded framing that sensationalize AI risks.
Key Findings
Aronoff blends solid reporting on industry trends with problematic elements:
- Factual error on Port Washington project:
The Milwaukee suburb of Port Washington voted by a margin of roughly 2-to-1 for a referendum requiring voter approval before the city can extend any preferential tax treatment to projects valued at or costing $10 million or more. The referendum was a reaction to the city approving tax incentives for a $15 billion data center project to be operated by Oracle and OpenAI.
City records confirm the referendum and tax incentives for a data center, but no official sources link it to Oracle, OpenAI, or a $15 billion scale. This misattribution inflates the project's AI association and stakes.
- Unverified Iran school bombing claim:
U.S. bombs in February killed between 175 and 180 people at a primary school in southern Iran—mostly girls under the age of 12—with the help of an AI targeting system developed by Palantir.
No reports confirm a February 2026 school bombing in southern Iran with these details or Palantir's involvement. A U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict occurred, but this specific incident lacks corroboration across searches.
- Unverified Greenland annexation threat:
Our government has in the last few months... threatened to annex Greenland.
No 2026 reports document such a threat; only a 2019 historical reference exists.
- Loaded framing of U.S. government actions:
The piece recasts an EEOC subpoena for UPenn employee lists in an antisemitism probe as the Trump administration "demands universities hand over lists of Jews," and pairs verified Palantir-ICE contracts with "hunt down and disappear migrants." These terms shift from documented probes/contracts to inflammatory implications.
- Sensational AI examples: Leads with uncontextualized anecdotes like "AI-generated child pornography," "eerie school papers," and "AI fruit cucking videos" to evoke revulsion, prioritizing visceral harms over balanced discussion.
What Was Missing (Verifiable Facts)
- Supply chain as primary delay driver: Article notes equipment shortages but emphasizes "bipartisan backlash." Bloomberg and Sightline data attribute nearly half of 2026's 12 GW delays primarily to transformer/battery shortages, not politics.
- Port Washington project details: Omits confirmed elements like Vantage's involvement, 902 MW capacity, union jobs, $175M infrastructure investment, and 70% zero-emission power commitment with no ratepayer cost hikes (per city site and JSONline).
These omissions skew toward political resistance over industry realities.
Author and Outlet Context
Kate Aronoff, a New Republic staff writer since 2020, specializes in climate and politics. She authored *Overheated* and co-authored *A Planet to Win*, and contributes to outlets like The Nation, Jacobin, and The Intercept. Her work often critiques tech expansion and fossil fuels from a progressive lens, which aligns with the piece's environmental focus but does not excuse factual lapses.
Coverage Differences
Other outlets provide contrasting angles:
- Tech-focused pieces like TechRadar prioritize supply chain bottlenecks (RAM shortages, utilities) over backlash.
- Progressive reports (e.g., Al Jazeera on Sanders/AOC bills) stress federal safeguards against Big Tech harms like surveillance.
- Local trackers like Data Center Watch quantify $64B in delays across 28 states due to bipartisan local opposition on taxes/energy.
- Right-leaning Fox News questions progressive moratoriums' economic claims, while The Guardian debunks AI hype in Iran strikes, emphasizing human decisions.
Bottom Line: The article credibly documents delays (Bloomberg/Sightline stats), moratoriums (Maine), and backlashes (Festus, Port Washington vote), informing on real tensions. However, unverified claims and errors erode trust, tilting toward alarmism on AI uses. Readers gain from its policy overview but should cross-check sensational elements.
Further Reading
- TechRadar: Nearly half of US data centers planned for 2026 canceled or delayed (supply chain focus)
- Data Center Watch: Report on blocked projects (bipartisan opposition data)
- Al Jazeera: US lawmakers push for pause in data centres (progressive legislation)
- Fox News: AI data center backlash video (economic skepticism)
- The Guardian: AI got the blame for the Iran school bombing (AI military context)
Investigation Log · 84 steps
Starting investigation...
Investigating Kate Aronoff
Investigating The New Republic
Investigating The New Republic
Searching for ""data centers delayed or canceled 2026" Bloomberg Sightline Climate"
Verify data center construction delays and stats from Bloomberg and Sightline.
Searching for "Maine legislature data center moratorium 2026"
Verify Maine's statewide moratorium on data centers.
Searching for ""Port Washington" Wisconsin Oracle OpenAI data center referendum"
Verify Port Washington vote on tax incentives for data center.
Source: The New Republic
The New Republic, established in 1914, is described by The New York Times as possessing intellectual rigor and left-leaning political views, with a daily online platform and 10 print issues per year. It has faced significant controversies, including the 2007 Scott Thomas Beauchamp incident involving fabricated soldier accounts and a 2019 article on Pete Buttigieg accused of inaccuracies.
Source: The New Republic
The New Republic, founded in 1914, is described by The New York Times as known for its intellectual rigor and left-leaning political views. It has faced controversies, including the 2007 Scott Thomas Beauchamp incident involving fabricated diary excerpts from an Iraq soldier and a 2019 article on Pete Buttigieg accused of inaccuracies. No specific fact-checking ratings or tech/AI/energy reporting accuracy metrics are available.
Source: Kate Aronoff
Kate Aronoff is a staff writer at The New Republic since January 2020, contributing climate and politics articles to progressive outlets like The Intercept, The Nation, Jacobin, Dissent, and The Guardian. She authored *Overheated* and co-authored *A Planet to Win*, positioning her as an advocate for Green New Deal-style policies rather than a neutral reporter. No fact-checking scores are available, and her work in ideologically aligned venues raises questions about balanced analysis.
Searching for "Festus Missouri data center referendum CRG $6 billion"
Verify Festus voters kicking out incumbents over data center approval.
Searching for ""Port Washington" Oracle OpenAI data center tax incentives"
Verify specific Oracle/OpenAI project in Port Washington and referendum impact.
Searching for "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier ChatGPT FSU shooting investigation"
Verify Florida officials investigating ChatGPT for assisting FSU mass shooting planning.
Searching for ""US bombs" OR "US airstrike" "school" Iran Palantir AI 2026"
Verify US bombs killing 175-180 at primary school in southern Iran using Palantir AI.
Searching for "OpenAI Illinois bill liability exemption "frontier models" "critical harms""
Verify OpenAI backing Illinois bill exempting liability for AI harms.
Searching for "Meta Hyperion data center Louisiana gas plants Entergy"
Verify Meta's plans for gas plants and power for Louisiana data center.
Searching for ""Port Washington" Wisconsin data center Oracle OR OpenAI OR $15 billion"
Confirm if Oracle/OpenAI $15B project exists in Port Washington, WI.
Searching for "US government kidnapped head of state 2026 OR Trump administration kidnapped"
Verify "kidnapped a head of state" claim.
Searching for "Trump administration universities lists of Jews OR ICE Palantir Jews"
Verify "demands universities hand over lists of Jews".
Searching for "US war of aggression against Iran 2026 OR US bombs Iran school February 2026 Palantir"
Double-check Iran war/school bombing.
Searching for "Quinnipiac poll AI excitement 2026 35 percent"
Verify Quinnipiac poll on AI attitudes.
Searching for "IEA data centers electricity demand generative AI half through 2030"
Verify IEA projection on AI vs traditional data centers.
Searching for "Texas data centers tax exemptions $3.2 billion revenue loss"
Verify Texas sales tax loss from data center exemptions.
Comparing coverage of "data center construction delays backlash moratoriums 2026"
Coverage comparison completed
Searching for ""Port Washington" Wisconsin "data center" Oracle OR OpenAI OR Microsoft OR Google OR "hyperscaler" OR $15 billion OR "tax incentives""
Narrow search for any link between Port Washington WI data center and Oracle/OpenAI or $15B project.
Searching for "US OR Israel OR "US bombs" OR airstrike "primary school" OR "girls school" Iran February 2026 OR "southern Iran" Palantir OR "AI targeting" casualties 175 OR 180"
Specific search for Iran school bombing details matching article: Feb, southern Iran, primary school, mostly girls under 12, 175-180 killed, Palantir AI.
Searching for "Trump "annex Greenland" 2026"
Verify recent threat to annex Greenland.
Searching for "Trump administration OR ICE Palantir "lists of Jews" universities 2026"
Context on "demands universities hand over lists of Jews" – link to Palantir/ICE/migrants.
Comparing coverage of "data centers AI backlash moratoriums right-wing OR conservative coverage 2026"
Searching for "AllSides OR Ad Fontes "The New Republic" bias rating"
Confirm bias rating for New Republic.
Searching for "Kate Aronoff data centers OR AI articles bias criticism"
Any criticism of her reporting on this topic.
Coverage comparison completed
Factual Error
Article claims Milwaukee suburb Port Washington approved tax incentives for a $15 billion data center operated by Oracle and OpenAI, prompting a 2-to-1 referendum requiring voter approval for such incentives.
Misattributes the project to major AI players Oracle/OpenAI, inflating its scale ($15B) and tying it directly to AI hype/backlash when no evidence links them; creates false impression of hyperscaler dominance in local fights.
unverified_claim
Claims "U.S. bombs in February killed between 175 and 180 people at a primary school in southern Iran—mostly girls under the age of 12—with the help of an AI targeting system developed by Palantir."
Presents unverified atrocity as fact to exemplify AI military harms, potentially exaggerating Palantir's role and US culpability in ongoing Iran conflict.
unverified_claim
States US government "threatened to annex Greenland" amid list of reckless actions.
Includes in litany of US aggression without basis, bolstering narrative of US hypocrisy on China AI threat.
Framing
Frames EEOC subpoena for UPenn Jewish employees/groups in antisemitism probe as Trump admin "demands universities hand over lists of Jews" while ICE uses Palantir to "hunt down and disappear migrants".
Dysphemistic recategorization: turns legitimate discrimination probe into antisemitic dragnet, pairs with migrants "disappear" to equate/invert US moral failings.
Source Credibility
Author Kate Aronoff, progressive climate advocate (Green New Deal supporter, writes for Jacobin/The Nation), publishes in left-leaning New Republic critiquing AI/tech expansion through anti-capitalist lens.
Predicts skeptical framing of data centers/AI benefits, emphasis on harms/environment over economic/national security upsides.
Missing Context
Supply chain shortages (transformers, batteries) are primary cause of ~half 2026 data center delays/cancellations, per Bloomberg/Crusoe Energy lead.
Article mentions shortages but attributes delays mainly to "bipartisan backlash"; downplays non-political bottlenecks central to industry reports.
Missing Context
Port Washington data center project exists with referendum on tax incentives, but no confirmed hyperscaler (Oracle/OpenAI) involvement or $15B scale.
Omits lack of evidence linking to AI giants, allowing reader to assume article's specific attribution is accurate.
Emotional Manipulation
Leads with AI harms like "flooding X with AI-generated child pornography", "eerie school papers", "AI fruit cucking videos"; ties to bombs (unverified), cheating, inequality.
Anecdote-as-evidence + snarl words prioritize sensational downsides, overshadowing verified upsides like productivity/scientific gains Altman cites.
Comparing coverage of "US Iran war 2026 school bombing Palantir AI"
Searching for "Port Washington Wisconsin data center developer OR company OR operator OR hyperscaler OR Oracle OR Microsoft OR Google OR Amazon OR "15 billion" OR "tax incentives" 2026"
Final check on Port Washington project details/developer.
Coverage comparison completed
unverified_claim
"Our government has in the last few months... threatened to annex Greenland."
Includes in hyperbolic list of US aggressions to equate US with China, bolstering anti-AI race narrative without basis.
Missing Context
Port Washington data center is Vantage/Oracle/OpenAI Stargate project >$15B with 902MW, union jobs, $175M infrastructure, 70% zero-emission power commitment, no ratepayer cost increase.
Omits project benefits/economic promises, focusing only on referendum backlash to imply net negative.
Source Credibility
Author Kate Aronoff is progressive climate activist (Green New Deal advocate, books on socialist energy solutions, writes for Jacobin/Nation/Intercept); New Republic left-leaning with history of fabrications.
Predicts anti-tech/AI/data center framing through environmental/inequality lens, skeptical of economic/national security benefits.
Emotional Manipulation
Emphasizes sensational AI harms: "AI-generated child pornography," "eerie school papers," "AI fruit cucking videos," unverified bombs killing children, juxtaposed with utopian promises.
Anecdote-as-evidence + snarl words create visceral anti-AI impression, sidelining verified productivity/climate solution claims.
Omission
Source asymmetry: Quotes critics (Altman skeptics, Harris on inequality) and polls showing AI unpopularity; minimal pro-AI voices beyond dismissive "boosters."
Manufactures consensus against data centers/AI by stacking negative sources, omitting balanced economic/national security arguments.
Writing analysis narrative
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