Mark Zuckerberg is trying to solve his AI data center problem with a $1 billion giveaway

Last month, Meta launched an "AI is good, really" PR campaign. My response: Words are fine, but why not trim group checks?

On Monday, Meta announced it's taking my (free) advice: It says it will create a $1 cardinal money to boost communities wherever it is building AI information centers.

There's very small nationalist item astir the fund. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentions it concisely successful a agelong memo explaining (again) why "The Future is for Everyone" (the memo virtually recycles lines from a WSJ op-ed Zuckerberg published past period called "The AI Future is for Everyone").

There's nary mention of really galore communities aliases group this is meant to help, aliases complete what play the money is meant to beryllium spent. But a personification acquainted pinch the scheme tells maine the thought is to walk the money successful addition to the investments Meta is making straight successful its information centers.

That would beryllium different from what happened successful agrarian Richland Parish, Louisiana, wherever teachers are getting a one-time prize of up to $50,000 because of a Meta information center: That money is coming from a taxation measure Meta paid successful conjunction pinch its building costs. Writing a cheque straight to communities and the group who unrecorded there, complete and supra what Meta spends connected information halfway construction, staffing, and taxes, seems for illustration money good spent.

And it's decidedly money Meta tin afford. Last year, the institution reported profits of $60 billion.

None of which intends this will work. There is deep-seated anger, mistrust, and fearfulness astir data centers (I highly urge the caller reporting astir communities responding to information centers successful Michigan and Wisconsin by journalist Jasmine Sun). There are besides deep-seated bad vibes astir Zuckerberg and Meta successful particular, and astir Big Tech successful general.

And there's besides the truth that societal networks — the products that springiness Zuckerberg and Meta the money to put billions successful information centers — are the aforesaid products that make it easier for group to shape against the information centers. And which tin besides beryllium blamed for group being dubious of… everything.

As exertion columnist Max Read puts it: "The low-trust situation cultivated complete the past mates decades by the tech industry's flagship companies has now created existent obstacles to its ambitions. Now that tech giants are the institutions—and efficaciously successful complaint of US business policy—they are getting a first-hand instruction successful really corrosive to semipermanent readying organization mistrust tin be."

But again: While AI tin beryllium legitimately scary for tons of reasons, almost each of them person to do pinch what mightiness happen, 1 day. Putting rate successful people's pockets coming whitethorn beryllium the champion instrumentality the tech guys have. And they person plentifulness of rate to spare.