How Communities Are Fighting AI Data Centers and Winning

The midterms delivered a stunning rebuke of Trump and the MAGA movement, but what will it take to turn electoral victories into lasting change? In this episode, Kelly talks with anti-authoritarian strategist Scot Nakagawa about the opportunities and dangers of this political moment, the enduring power of tech oligarchs, and how movements can build the solidarity and infrastructure needed to defeat authoritarianism and transform our political culture. Music: Son Monarcas, Dusty Decks, and Guustavv

Big Tech is selling us a future in which workers are increasingly disposable, human expertise is devalued, and corporate power is more concentrated than ever. But is that future inevitable? In this episode, Kelly talks with Alex Hanna, co-author of The AI Con, about AI as a tool of class warfare, the hype that obscures its real-world harms, and how workers are organizing to resist Big Tech's agenda and win meaningful protections in the workplace. Music: Son Monarcas and Guustavv

Across the country, communities are fighting back against the construction of AI data centers and winning. In this episode, Kelly talks with Saul Levin, host of The Hum, about the growing movement against Big Tech's infrastructure boom and the strategies organizers are using to stop these projects. They discuss how unlikely coalitions are building power, sharing tactics, and challenging the political and corporate forces seeking to override local communities. Music: Son Monarcas, Jobii, and David Celeste

In this episode, Kelly talks with organizer Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson about what it means to defend an election under authoritarianism, beyond simply telling people to “vote harder.” They discuss the “win, prove, enforce” framework, the strategic case for early voting, how ordinary people can help protect the voting process, and why relational organizing and staying in right relationship across political differences will matter in the months ahead. Music: Son Monarcas and Sarah the Illstrumentalist You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

What happens when machines become easier to relate to than other people? In this episode, Kelly talks with author Sherry Turkle about artificial intimacy, the erosion of empathy and social skills, and the political dangers of replacing human connection with frictionless simulations of care. Music: Son Monarcas and Sarah the Illstrumentalist You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter

Our current infrastructure was built for a world that no longer exists. How do we build the power to survive when the systems we depend on fail us? In this episode, Kelly talks with guests Keyante Aytch, Alice Liu, and Brandon Bunt about the tools and relationships that can help make communities resilient—from mesh networks and off-grid solar to neighborhood disaster hubs.

“We can have billionaires or we can have democracy. We cannot have both,” Gil Durán says. In this episode, Gil and Kelly discuss the bizarre fixations and political fantasies of tech billionaires like Peter Thiel, and how those ideas are being translated into real-world governance. Durán and Hayes also discuss Silicon Valley’s Christian cosplay, and how traditional Christian ideas are being used as wrapping paper for the pursuit of AI-first, corporate fiefdoms. Music: Son Monarcas and Dusty Decks

“It comes down to the stealing of everything that is and the taking of everything that is,” says Joseph White Eyes. In this episode, Kelly talks with Native organizers Joseph White Eyes and Krystal Two Bulls about the struggle against data centers in Native communities. The conversation explores how the AI boom is advancing a new era of colonial extraction, and how Native communities are resisting land grabs and exploitative technologies. Music: Son Monarcas and Sarah the Illstrumentalist

A lot of AI technology may not work very well, but providing consumers with reliable information was never its major commercial promise. Investors have poured billions into generative AI because of the promise that it will eliminate jobs on a massive scale. Tech journalist Brian Merchant joins Kelly to discuss how the AI boom is being used to displace workers, degrade information, expand surveillance and strengthen state violence—and why this brittle corporate project can be disrupted.

As climate disasters intensify and authoritarian threats escalate, most of us are underprepared for moments when systems fail or are weaponized against us. In this episode, Kelly talks with Chris Begley and Amy Edelman, authors of The Emergency Playbook: A Bunker-Free Guide to Disaster Preparation, about how preparedness can move us away from fear, isolation and bunker fantasies, and toward community, care and collective survival. They discuss how practical planning, community relationships and collective care can help us face climate disasters, political unrest and everyday crises with more courage and less panic. Music: Son Monarcas and Mizlo You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/ If you would like to support the show, you can donate here: bit.ly/TODonate If you would like to receive Truthout's newsletter, please sign up: bit.ly/TOnewsletter