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Jasmine Sun spent 10 days visiting 4 Midwestern sites and produced a 6,000‑word…

2026-08-04 · 00:20 UTC ·@lennysan ·1 min read

Brief

Jasmine Sun’s 6,000‑word report, produced after 10 days at four Midwestern sites, synthesizes interviews with union leaders, brokers, activists, officials and politicians (including Kathy Hochul and Abdul El‑Sayed). She finds intense local distrust—fueled by big money, past corporate failures, NDAs and media amplification—and concludes she empathized with opponents despite agreeing with proponents on paper.

Why it matters

Jasmine Sun spent 10 days visiting 4 Midwestern sites and produced a 6,000‑word report after interviewing union leaders, real‑estate brokers, activists, local officials and politicians including Kathy Hochul and Abdul El‑Sayed.

Key details

  • Activists are as angry at local officials as at AI companies; skepticism increases with larger dollar amounts, and communities point to past corporate failures (Foxconn, GM, DTE) as priming distrust.
  • Data center proponents regret NDAs, residents fear being "left with the bag" if a bubble pops, and media narratives can turn local grievances into national movements; Sun says she agreed with proponents rationally but empathized with opponents emotionally.
Source evidence

Amazing piece by @jasminewsun, who traveled all over the country to better understand the AI datacenter backlash

jasmi.news/p/no-data-centers…

jasmine sun (@jasminewsun)

This piece is out! 4 sites, 10 days, and 6000 words on the politics of data centers in the Midwest: jasmi.news/p/no-data-centers…

I talked to union leaders and real estate brokers, activists and local officials, politicians from Kathy Hochul to Abdul El-Sayed. A few takeaways:

  • Activists are as pissed at their local officials as at AI companies
  • The bigger the dollar signs, the more skeptical people are
  • Past corporate failures (Foxconn, GM, DTE) prime community distrust
  • Even data center proponents regret the NDAs
  • Media narratives turn local grievances into national movements
  • Residents fear getting left with the bag if the bubble pops

The AI buildout is showing up in an environment of extreme distrust, and it slots perfectly into existing worries about risky tech bubbles & dark money in politics. Rationally speaking, I often agreed with the proponents; emotionally, I empathized with the opposition more.

It was also just very fun (WI is esp lovely) and I highly recommend similar field trips to SF friends

— https://nitter.net/jasminewsun/status/2084429393028665756#m