Author: Alena

MLive, 15 Feb. 2026, https://www.mlive.com/news/2026/02/when-big-tech-moves-in-next-door-could-indiana-data-center-town-be-michigans-future.html.

This article examines the “Gold Rush” of data center construction in the Midwest, which is an area particularly attractive to big tech companies looking for locations for data centers. This is because the colder climates help with lower cooling costs of the data centers, as well as the access to water.

This article specifically looks at how Michigan might be attempting to follow Indiana’s lead in attracting Big Tech giants like Amazon and Google. Driven by the growing demands of and for AI, these “hyperscale” data centers are moving into rural areas like New Carlisle, Indiana, the main subject of this article, and Saline Township, Michigan, making this topic a hit close to home.

It seems like state officials and those in the government are eager to join the “AI economy,” local residents are concerned over the industrialization of farmland, the huge strain on the power grid, and the millions of gallons of water required daily to cool AI servers.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the development of the Saline, Michigan data centers since I first heard about them, and saw the protests on the street corners of the downtown area of Saline, with a little bit of dread in the pit of my stomach. I’ve seen a lot of videos and news about how the data centers have impacted the communities surrounding them, especially when it comes to their water and power bills, and seeing one possibly moving in so close to home isn’t welcomed news.

I think this article does a good job of looking at a specific community, with a number of similarities to Saline, and seeing how it is impacting the people who live there as a way to look into our possible future. It goes beyond just the logistic aspects like the power and water, and examines the things like the emotional and social impact from the industrialized landscape and increased traffic from the construction.

Cassidy, John. “The Dangerous Paradox of A.I. Abundance.” The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026, www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/the-dangerous-paradox-of-ai-abundance.

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Summary

In “The Dangerous Paradox of A.I. Abundance,” John Cassidy talks about the tension growing between the promise of artificial intelligence as a source of economic potential and its effects on labor and exasperation of existing inequality. Big Tech leaders and investors portray AI as a path to greater productivity and revenue, yet critics encourage us to be cautious that these benefits might have an unequal benefit to corporations rather than workers and every day people.

Cassidy draws on historical economic theory and current forecasts to show how AI’s ability to stand in for human labor could concentrate income among corporations, potentially getting rid of jobs and reducing overall wages. He also talks about competing views on how the economy might change and adapt, and what possible policy changes should happen in response.

Why I found it interesting

I found this article compelling because it disputes the often very optimistic narrative around AI abundance by putting it in a broader economic and historical context. Rather than just celebrating technological progress, Cassidy challenges readers to consider who truly benefits from AI’s growth.

The piece engages with real economic theory and brings in the current and ongoing public debates about inequality, job displacement, and how new technologies can effect society, for better or for worse.

I think it gave me a little bit more to think a little bit deeper about not just what AI does but how its effects are distributed across society. I think it is something that we are aware of in a general sense, but I had yet to consider what it would mean in this specific context.