AI First: How the Federal Government Is Prioritizing AI Over People and Planet
Summary
This article argues that the US AI and data center boom is being advanced through state-backed policy and corporate influence, often at the expense of people and the planet. It details three mechanisms for enabling the AI buildout—AI First national strategy, antisocial infrastructure, and paying for the party—along with calls for Green Economic Populism, democratic planning, and public investment to realign policy with public welfare.