A massive protest marched through Downtown Vancouver on Saturday, voicing its opposition to proposed AI data centres in the province.
Demonstrators raising concerns over energy use, water consumption, and the future impact of artificial intelligence in B.C.
Starting from Victory Square, demonstrators marched down Granville Street in response to recent plans announced by Telus, the federal government, and developer Westbank to build a network of AI-focused data centres in Vancouver and Kamloops.
Those in attendance say they are worried about the environmental impact of the proposed facilities and argue the projects could place added strain on B.C.’s power grid and water supply while taking up valuable urban land.
“I don’t think we have taken into account what the repercussions might be; it’s happened at such a fast pace,” said one protester.
Others say they are concerned about how AI will affect the future of the job market and are against the use of it altogether.
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“I’m protesting against AI. Personally, because I’m a teacher and I can see that AI is ruining kids’ critical thinking skills,” said another protester.
“Mainly the effect it has on the environment, and also just the fact that it’s making people dumber,” said a third participant.
The leader of the BC Greens, Emily Lowan, has been vocal about her opposition to these new AI data centres and attended the march.
“We need to stop chasing corporate profit over the well-being of communities, so that’s why the BC Greens are calling for a full moratorium on AI data centres until we understand the risks, and they’re regulated,” she told CityNews.
She adds that AI data centres use a massive amount of water.
She argues that the facilities would further push B.C. to search out of province for its energy needs.
“Because of B.C.’s extreme continuous droughts, we are now a net importer of coal-fired electricity from the United States.”
Industry supporters say that the proposed data centres will strengthen Canada’s AI capabilities and create jobs tied to the growing tech sector.
Protesters demand that more consultation is needed before these proposed data centres have a permanent home in B.C.