re: AI Data centers

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This is why im bullish on Elon's idea to put the data centers in orbit where there's plenty of space and no water required. That needs to happen quickly

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Remote AI data centers are fine for AI training, but the long latency will make remote AI data centers (even the terrestrial ones well away from population centers) useless for AI inference. So you will need (many) more ultra-low-latency data centers as time goes on.

The other issue with space data centers in the medium term is how quickly they become obsolete, often before construction is finished. This makes the cost of space-based versions financially untenable until the tech plateaus out, which may never happen or when the cost of moving massive volumes to space gets much cheaper.

How does AI threaten national security?
AI Overview

Artificial Intelligence threatens national security by accelerating the speed and scale of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, lowering the barriers for creating unconventional weapons, and generating hyper-realistic synthetic media that undermines public trust.

The integration of AI introduces specific, actionable threats across several critical areas:
1. Cyber and Infrastructure Warfare
Automated Exploitation: Malicious actors use AI to scan networks for software vulnerabilities and autonomously execute cyberattacks at speeds far beyond human capabilities.
Adaptive Malware: AI-powered malware can alter its code and behavior to evade detection by traditional cybersecurity defenses.
Critical Infrastructure: State-sponsored hackers use these advanced algorithms to breach and disrupt essential systems such as electrical grids and military communications.

2. Proliferation of Unconventional Weapons
Lowered Barrier to Entry: AI lowers the technical hurdles required to design and develop chemical or biological weapons, as well as synthetic pathogens.
Material Sourcing: Generative models can be manipulated or bypassed to provide instructions for synthesizing dangerous materials with minimal resources.

3. Information and Cognitive Warfare
Mass-Produced Disinformation: Extremist groups and hostile nations use AI to generate highly convincing, tailored propaganda at scale.
Deepfakes: Realistic synthetic audio, photo, and video forgeries (deepfakes) are deployed to impersonate officials, manipulate financial markets, and destabilize public trust in government institutions.


4. Autonomous Military Capabilities
Swarm Warfare: The widespread availability of commercially accessible, AI-enabled drones provides hostile states and non-state actors with cheap, long-range precision strike capabilities.

Autonomous Systems: The deployment of autonomous weapons systems that make targeting decisions without human intervention raises serious concerns about rapid escalations and accidental warfare.

HARVARD Kennedy School - Belfer Center

The global security landscape is shifting as both state and non-state actors leverage these technologies. You can explore deeper analysis of these evolving frameworks on platforms like the Council on Foreign Relations or official tracking by the Brennan Center for Justice.

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But sure, give Samsung and TSMC subsidies to build chip plants in Arizona, land of abundant water. A data center is a data center is a data center. Storage arrays and air conditioners don't know if they're being used by "AI," Gmail, Tigerdroppings or Adsense. Lazy writing.

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Not much cooling is needed to make chips. I have the list of equipment TSMC was wanting for AZ and next to no cooling required.

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next to no cooling required.

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TSMC's chip production facilities in Arizona are expected to require approximately 17.2 million gallons of water per day when fully operational, with efforts in place to recycle and reclaim a significant portion of this water. The company aims for a water recycling rate of around 90% to mitigate its impact on local water resources.

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Hate to break it to you but you’re not using AI, you’re just using google that reads a response back to you and you’re paying for it.

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Not much cooling is needed to make chips. I have the list of equipment TSMC was wanting for AZ and next to no cooling required.

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I really didn't want to respond to this, but feel the need.

Microchip manufacturing plants have HUGE cooling demands, HUGE. We're talking about a single modual on a site similar to one on Intels Ocotillo site being the equal of several Superdomes. Intels Ocotillo site has six of those mods with conceptual plans to lease adjacent Indian land for future expansion.

Big power and water loads at these plants. Great effort and expense is used to recycle as much water as possible as it is a large part of their cost.

I don't know what list you were looking at, but I suspect it was probably the needs of one of the smaller support buildings of which there would be several on site. For instance there would be UPW building(s), Central Utilities Building(s), Wastewater treatment, etc. many different support buildings.

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The water use is a huge disaster that no one is talking about

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No, almost everyone is talking about it.

But the government and tech billionaires just dont care.

They are going to force this on communities and know there is nothing the people will do about it other than bitch on social media.

There seem to be dozens of these plants going up nationwide. I find it hard to believe they are data processing centers or chip makers.

35 year career designing and building them for all the major manufacturers. Yes, I've been in a few plants and clean rooms with the tools.