1-0 to humankind? US midterms vote puts AI, datacentres and the broligarchy back in their box | Heather Stewart
News Source
β’Sun, 08 Nov 2026 12:05:58 GMT
π° What Happened
The US midterm results dealt a blow to tech billionaires and their plans for data centres. The Guardian's Heather Stewart argues that voters pushed back against what she calls the "broligarchy".
Candidates who promised to limit data centres won seats in many places. Reports from the campaign also suggest voters rejected several local plans for new server farms. The result has been read as a warning to the tech industry.
π The Backstory
Data centres power AI systems and use huge amounts of electricity and water. As more are built, nearby towns have raised concerns about bills, noise and land. The issue has moved from tech pages into local politics.
"Broligarchy" is slang for a small group of rich tech men with outsize political power. In this election, big spending by those donors did not buy the results they wanted.
π― Why It Matters
Decisions about data centres affect local power bills, water and land. This vote shows ordinary people can slow projects they do not want built nearby.
The US midterm results dealt a blow to tech billionaires and their plans for data centres. The Guardian's Heather Stewart argues that voters pushed back against what she calls the "broligarchy".
Candidates who promised to limit data centres won seats in many places. Reports from the campaign also suggest voters rejected several local plans for new server farms. The result has been read as a warning to the tech industry.
Data centres power AI systems and use huge amounts of electricity and water. As more are built, nearby towns have raised concerns about bills, noise and land. The issue has moved from tech pages into local politics.
"Broligarchy" is slang for a small group of rich tech men with outsize political power. In this election, big spending by those donors did not buy the results they wanted.
Decisions about data centres affect local power bills, water and land. This vote shows ordinary people can slow projects they do not want built nearby.