AI’s Infrastructure Boom Meets Economic and Public Backlash

WSJ: OpenAI’s Second-Quarter Sales Show Tepid Growth Compared With Anthropic (Aug. 18, 2026)
OpenAI’s revenue rose 18% to $6.7 billion in Q2, but losses deepened as rival Anthropic more than doubled revenue to $11.6 billion and earned a small profit.
WSJ: See the New Building Techniques Turbocharging the Data-Center Boom (Sep. 1, 2026)
AI companies are racing to build data centers faster, using new products, construction methods, and modular designs to gain an edge.
Andy Masley: AI safety and the data center backlash (Sep. 1, 2026)
Advanced AI could radically reshape society and create risks but that exaggerated data-center criticism may distract from these risks.
WSJ: You Need to Invest in AI, but Don’t Expect a Return (Aug. 31, 2026)
Businesses should view AI as infrastructure and focus on protecting their position, using proprietary data, redesigned workflows, and adaptable teams.
WSJ: The Great Bipartisan Data Center Smackdown Has Begun (Aug. 19, 2026)
Governors in Pennsylvania and Texas moved to curb or condition new data-center projects, responding to voter anger over water, power, and quality-of-life impacts from AI-related facilities. The bipartisan push reflects growing public resistance to rapid data-center development.
WSJ: Inside Big Tech’s Frantic Race to Quell the Growing Backlash to AI (Aug. 18, 2026)
AI companies face rising local backlash over data centers, citing water use, electricity costs, and secrecy, prompting delays and bans.
Andy Masley: Other large industries show how impoverished the data center debate is (Aug. 18, 2026)
Aerial photo of Gwangyang Steel Works looks like a computer chip, evoking awe at humanity’s ability to shape vast systems. The plant produces 22 million tonnes yearly, consumes billions of gallons of water, and emits 30 million tonnes of CO2e.
Electronic Frontier Foundation: EFF to Courts: Don’t Rewrite Copyright Over AI Hype (Aug. 31, 2026)
Past copyright panics over videotapes, cameras, and music technologies proved exaggerated. Courts should not expand copyright based on speculation about AI.
NY Times: An A.I. Tax Boom Could Curtail America’s Debt. But Not Solve It. (Aug. 18, 2026)
A.I. could boost productivity, raising growth and tax revenue, and slow the rise of U.S. debt, but it won’t eliminate the deficit. O
WSJ: Startup Founders Are Working Harder Than Ever to Keep Up With Their AI Agents (Aug. 21, 2026)
Startup founders say AI agents, which run tasks nonstop, create an always-on pressure that lengthens workdays, disrupts sleep, and worsens health.
WSJ: AI Bubble May Deflate, Not Burst (Aug. 19, 2026)
AI stock volatility prompted bubble warnings, but a valuation reset reflects slower, more realistic adoption, not collapse.
WSJ: Chinese Humanoid Robot Leader Soars in Market Debut Despite U.S. Ban (Aug. 18, 2026)
Unitree Robotics leapt 460% on its Shanghai debut to a $51 billion valuation, reflecting China’s push to lead embodied AI.

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