this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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Fuck AI

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cross-posted from: https://piefed.zip/c/technology/p/1462160/kevin-o-leary-s-massive-data-center-project-in-utah-gets-the-greenlight-locals-are-furious

The project would be more than twice the size of Manhattan and could consume more electricity than the entire state currently uses. > > Some quotes near the end that I want to point out. > > For his part, O’Leary has claimed, without evidence, that much of the opposition to the project was “paid” and that the meeting was filled with “professional protestors.” > “We think that over 90% of the protestors are actually not people that live in Utah or Box Elder County. They’re being bussed in,” O’Leary said in a video posted on X. > He also claimed backlash on social media surrounding the project was AI-generated. > > I mean sure, might as well keep using that playbook it's not like it ever stopped working, but at this point I'm shocked these assholes don't just go "And there's nothing you peasants can do about it! Mwauahahaha"

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[–] lmdnw@lemmy.world 57 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Would be a shame if people in the community were to sabotage the construction and destroy any expensive equipment or materials.

[–] its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 1 month ago (1 children)

All it takes is a pound of sugar to ruin a ton of concrete.

[–] TheGoldenV@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Not as ruined as you’d hope I fear. Plus a literal ton of concrete isn’t that much due to the density. I.e. you’d need a metric f ton of sugar to be effective.

Maybe a pound of gasoline to burn the truck instead?

[–] its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

but when the sugar content exceeds a very small threshold, often cited at around 0.2% to 1% by weight of the cement, the retardation becomes so severe that the concrete may never properly set or gain adequate strength. The sugar essentially prevents the microscopic crystals from growing and interlocking, leaving behind a weak, unusable slurry instead of the intended durable rock.

Source

1 pound is about .5% well within the necessary amounts, and you do not need to ruin every square foot of concrete to make the structure unusable.

[–] TheGoldenV@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I know we’re all joking anyway, but the sugar method is stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. They do slump and crush tests on all the concrete poured for anything important.
How would a person execute this plan at scale?

Guess I’m no criminal mastermind, or maybe just no mind at all.

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 4 points 1 month ago

They usually pull those samples just before the truck leaves the plant. That doesn't stop someone on site adding some sugar as it's leaving the truck. Construction has one of the biggest day labor usage rates.

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Or put the sugar in the fuel tank?

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 10 points 1 month ago

Did you know all construction equipment is fleet keyed? More shocking, most service panels don't require a key at all. Crazier still, people can print the keys now days, they don't even need the spares on eBay.

Would be a shame if people kicked Kevin on the balls on sight.

[–] Ariselas@piefed.ca 2 points 1 month ago

All that copper and precious metals, gotta get meth heads off criticality converters and onto data centres

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

They're mormons. They'll put a cup of coffee by the construction site and say the devil is in the fiber optics, then pass a bill to ban porn on the internet if it comes from California

[–] londos@lemmy.world 47 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

“We think that over 90% of the protestors are actually not people that live in Utah or Box Elder County. They’re being bussed in,” O’Leary said in a video posted on X.

Does he even live in Utah?

[–] CorrectAlias@piefed.blahaj.zone 31 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

No, his houses are in Boston and somewhere in Florida.

[–] FilthyHands@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 month ago
[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

so very on point: YOU CAN'T TRUST THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE OUTSIDERS!

says the outsider wanting to use all their power and water for a datacenter

[–] its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 1 month ago

I'm doing it so I should blame my opponents of doing it

O'Leary

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nope. He's killing people on lakes around Muskoka, Canada.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That was his wife and it was dark.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I just think it's hilarious that speeding and killing people is somehow okay if it's dark out - it seems like a very obvious loophole that should be fixed.

[–] Rooster326@programming.dev 7 points 1 month ago

Said the only man in the room rich enough to have people bussed in for a council meeting.

[–] hash@slrpnk.net 43 points 1 month ago

I live in Utah. This passed unanimously after the councilmembers ran to a private room and didn't take public comment. Protesters most certainly were not bussed in and the public truly is pissed. While the vote passed I doubt this is over.

[–] xtr0n@sh.itjust.works 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hope this ghoul sinks all of his money into this bubble and dies penniless. I know it won’t happen but a gal can dream.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 month ago

Very high chance of this.

Kevin O'Leary is a chronic loser. He typically heads investment funds and they typically lose. His own O'Leary fund underperformed until it had to be sold off. He made some money on a $3B software deal with Mattel that lost Mattel $3B.

Small wonder he loves Trump.

[–] Unleaded8163@fedia.io 19 points 1 month ago

Kevin O'Leary and AI data centres go together like flies and shit.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

“Paid professional protesters.”

These clowns haven’t had an original lie in over a decade.

[–] Canconda@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

MMW. Kevin O'Leary will be the first person in history to be capitally punished via wristwatch. I don't know how. I just know that.

[–] etherphon@piefed.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I kind of hope he gets eaten by a shark, it would be so delicious.

[–] Canconda@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If Sharks weren't scared shitless of Orcas they could team up next time he goes on a boat.

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Orcas wearing Kevin O'leary's head as a fashion statement?

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Given that an orca really has very few features on which it can "wear" something, I think the most feasible would be a sort of bandoleer or vest.. an orca wearing a bandoleer of billionaire heads sounds pretty badass IMHO

[–] MushuChupacabra@piefed.world 12 points 1 month ago

Data Centers have woefully low levels of security per kilogram of copper held within.

[–] justlemmyin@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] cheers_queers@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

shark tank

yes, yes we'll get to that, but first, who is he?

/s

[–] angelmountain@lemy.nl 7 points 1 month ago

Can we just stop doing capitalism already? I've seen enough of it by now.

[–] chilicheeselies@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Who is this data center even for though? Like, who is the customer of a data center this large? Are AWS availabilty zones even cmose to this large?

I mean really, who is leasing this equipment?

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

They'll sell it to slc for fifty bil

[–] parson0@startrek.website 7 points 1 month ago

Totally unrelated fun fact, but I heard a few pounds of sugar can do significant damage to a truckload of concrete if mixed in.

[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wanna be a paid professional protester but I can't find anyone whose hiring.

[–] snoons@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

That would be quite the job lol.