Tech CEOs want the world to embrace AI, but protestors outside their G20 gathering show the industry’s growing popularity problem

Inside the G20 event in Chapel Hill, N.C. this week, tech leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman raved about AI’s capabilities and the need to build more data centers. But outside, protestors struck a different tune.

In a “fireside chat” with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Altman called AI “incredible magic of intelligence in a bottle,” while also warning AI’s infrastructure needs would keep expanding.

“Even with great gains in efficiency, we are going to need to build much more infrastructure, unless we want this to be a highly priced model, which we don’t,” he added, according to local news outlet the News & Observer.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Palantir CEO Alex Karp were also present and projected similar positive messages. Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke via conference call.

Beyond the security perimeter just outside the Carolina Inn, a hotel on the campus of the University of North Carolina where the tech leaders gathered, hundreds of protestors assembled on Wednesday morning to voice their displeasure with AI, data centers, and the billionaires behind them, among other concerns. 

“We are mad because AI data centers are polluting the water and the air in many communities,” said Rob, a college student who wished to be identified only by his........

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