As tempers flared around AI data centers back in January, Microsoft’s president Brad Smith issued a warm and fuzzy blog post about “building community-first AI infrastructure.”
Smiths’ essay outlined a five-point plan to “partner with local communities across the United States,” with action-items like paying “our way to ensure our data centers don’t increase your electricity prices” and creating “jobs for your residents.” One bullet point spoke to Microsoft’s plan to “strengthen your community by investing in local AI training and non-profits.”
“We will invest in your local nonprofit community,” Smith wrote, underlining the promise for extra emphasis. He even outlined a plan to send “Microsoft liaisons” to towns where the company’s AI data centers have been built. “Our broader contribution must start with listening. You know best what your town needs, what nonprofits are making a difference, and which organizations are best positioned to do more.”
That all sounds lovely, at least on paper. But as a group of community organizers in Indiana learned, those liaisons are much more interested in laundering Microsoft’s image in data center towns than in actually supporting local programs.
