Protesters storm Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam

· Tech · Netherlands · European Union

Several hundred activists occupied the site of a planned Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam as part of a two-day protest taking place across Europe, amid a growing backlash against AI infrastructure. The demonstrations come days after US midterm elections ushered in a wave of Democrats promising to clamp down on data centres. Environmental groups are embracing AI even as they warn of data centre impacts. In China's Inner Mongolia, potato farms are making way for sprawling AI data centres in Ulanqab, raising questions about water sustainability in a drought-prone region. Democrats are also calling for tighter regulation of AI data centres.

Why it matters：Local resistance to data centres is emerging as a real constraint on the AI buildout in both Europe and the US.

Key points

  • Several hundred activists occupied the planned Microsoft site in Amsterdam.
  • The protest was part of a two-day Europe-wide action.
  • In China's Ulanqab, potato farms are giving way to AI data centres.

Sources (original reporting)

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