Opposition to Data Centers Grows in Cramped Urban Japan

Opposition to data centers grows in cramped urban Japan

The explosion in resource-hungry data centers — housing the hardware “brains” of artificial intelligence — is fueling unease worldwide.

data centres: Opposition to data centres grows in cramped urban Japan

The more Yoriko Kitagawa learns of a massive data centre to be built near her home in Hino on the outskirts of Tokyo, the more she worries. "As someone who lives next to the site, I'm most worried about a fire that could be triggered by the massive amount of batteries," said 69-year-old campaigner Yasuo Yamazaki.

Opposition to data centres grows in cramped urban Japan

"This is a terrible plan," the 94-year-old told AFP. The explosion in resource-hungry data centres -- housing the hardware "brains" of artificial intelligence -- is fuelling unease worldwide, with New York State and Australia the latest jurisdictions to announce new rules. Opponents of data centres in the United States have called for a "national day of protest" on Saturday to "protect our hometowns, our wallets, and our way of life". Japan, wit…

'Terrible plan': Opposition to data centres grows in cramped urban Japan