Campaigners say moratorium needed while the Scottish government analyses the environmental impact of datacentres. Campaigners say moratorium needed while the Scottish government analyses the environmental impact of datacentres. Thu 3 Sep 2026 13.48 EDTFirst published on Thu 3 Sep 2026 13.09 EDT Kat Jones may be the closest thing Scotland has to Erin Brockovich in 2026. Standing in the shadow of Arthurâ s Seat outside Holyrood, the 52-year-old is revving up the crowd of protesters around her. â Who is here from Lammermuir? Ayrshire? On Thursday, hundreds travelled to Edinburgh to call for an immediate moratorium on Scotlandâ s datacentre boom, which includes one project in Auchtertool, Fife, that has been billed as the second largest in the world.

Plus: New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schools. Digital harms have become the defining fear of American parents. In response, they're increasingly turning to content-monitoring apps that scan their children's texts, photos, emails, and chats, issuing alerts whenever an algorithm flags something it deems dangerous. These tools have had genuine successes, preventing suicide attempts, intercepting predators, and averting school shootings. But they can also cause harm themselves, from false alarms and unnecessary interventions to damaged trust and anxiety. Child-safety researchers say better approaches exist.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. The AI moratorium applies to district-owned devices. There is not yet a district policy on what students can do on non-district devices, an official said. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

Creator Playbook Trending Now Say More Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List In My Bag All Series Mamdani's AI ban may not be enough to protect NYC students Coalitions backing AI moratoriums remain skeptical of New York City's new AI school policies. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood at a podium today (Sep. To those fighting to ban artificial intelligence in schools across the country, this moment was . Mamdani, speaking alongside NYC Chancellor Kamar Samuels, announced the new comprehensive, human-first AI policy for the nation's largest school district.

The datacenter fight could permanently transform US politics. Which party will seize advantage? Bryce Gustafson has been knocking on doors in Indiana for more than a decade. The lead organizer with Citizens Action Coalition (CAC), a consumer and environmental organization, he usually encounters a mix of reactions when he's out canvassing; whatever issue he's talking about, there's always at least a few people on the other side. But at a recent festival in the rural town of Monrovia, Indiana, he was struck by an unusual spirit of unity.

After weeks of intense negotiation, state lawmakers on Friday reached a compromise on legislation to regulate energy use by California's growing data center industry, action triggered by community anger over the facilities and fears of high utility bills in some communities.

More than 15 politicians from across the country have signed on to the AI Pact, vowing to regulate data centers and AI. "We've got to get this right," says Senate candidate Dan Osborn of Nebraska. Dan Osborn was finishing up his fourth town hall last Sunday, he says, when a "hardcore MAGA" guy approached him. Osborn, who is running for the US Senate in Nebraska as an independent against Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts, said that he and the man didn't have much common ground--at first. "Then I said, 'Hey, what's your take on AI and data centers?'"

The Vermont senator co-sponsored a bill that calls for a moratorium on building data centers. He discusses the environmental and economic concerns, and what the government can do. Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of The New Yorker in your inbox. The data centers that power artificial intelligence are being built at a rampant pace, and are spurring resistance all over the country. Apart from public concerns about A.I.'s impact on jobs, privacy, and other aspects of life, data centers consume vast amounts of electricity and water.

A.I. Is Now a Major Election Issue As Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan's newly elected Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, put it, "People really effing hate data centers." This summer, as the ideologically fractious Democratic primaries begin to recede and the politically pivotal midterm elections edge nearer, candidates and voters alike have had their attention drawn by vast, humming edifices newly constructed on the outskirts of towns. Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former public-health official who finished a deft insurgent campaign by becoming Michigan's Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, sounded a theme that helped decide primaries in his state and in Kansas last week. "People really effing hate data centers," he said. That kind of consensus is rare in politics right now.

Communities across the country are trying to keep data centers out. A victory in Maryland shows a blueprint--but no guarantees. Enter your email to receive alerts for this author. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. You're already subscribed to the aa_Nitish_Pahwa newsletter. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.