Hyperscale w/ Paris Marx fighting AI + Data Centres

Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a minimum donation of £3.50 to help cover venue costs. There are some limited free tickets as well for people who will struggle to contribute this.

- Description -
Who pays for the AI boom? Join Bristol Transformed for an evening with Paris Marx host of the Tech Won’t Save Us for the Bristol launch of their new book Hyperscale: Ambition, Power, and the Relentless Rise of Data Empires for a discussion on all things Big Tech data centres.

Big Tech and AI companies are racing to build ever-larger "hyperscale" data centres, and communities around the world are living with what that costs. Energy demand is straining public grids. Vast carbon emissions are adding fuel to the climate crisis. Huge amounts of water are being used in drought-prone regions.

There are land grabs and noise pollution. Environmental safeguards are weak, and communities get little consent, transparency or democratic say over where and how this infrastructure is built. The jobs, investment and growth promised to host communities often never arrive, while the profits flow to Big Tech.

This is not a discussion about the machinations taking place over the pacific but rather dealing with issues that are immediately relevant to the citizens of Bristol.

The city is home to the world’s 11< sup>th< /sup> fastest supercomputer ISAMBARD-AI having been built in the city funded by the government and university and having it’s near unparalleled computing power utilised by various private tech firms and AI start-ups.

We’re also facing a battle over a planned data centre in Avonmouth which is aiming to be operational by next year which would use 40MW of power which is the equivalent of powering 30,000-40,000 homes. The planning application has already received over 3000 public objections from concerned citizens.

The need to understand this technology is here now so join us for an evening of analysis, storytelling and organising on one of the biggest infrastructure fights of our time.

- What to expect -

Conversation and Q&A
Paris Marx is in conversation with Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins, founder of Bristol Transformed, trade union organiser and freelance reporter currently researching tech, AI and data centres. They’ll discuss the economic, social and environmental stakes of hyperscale data centre development, followed by questions from the audience.

Book launch: Hyperscale by Paris Marx
A reading from Hyperscale, Paris's new investigation into the AI data centre industry. Copies will be on sale, and Paris will be available to sign them.

Dispatches from the frontlines
Short talks from people resisting data centre expansion in the South West and beyond, covering the campaigns and fights already underway.

We aim for every event to be accessible to everyone, regardless of any prior knowledge!

About the speakers

Paris Marx is a tech critic, author of Hyperscale and host of the Tech Won't Save Us podcast.

Isaac Kneebone-Hopkins is the founder of Bristol Transformed, a trade union organiser and a freelance reporter who’s work can be found in The Bristol Cable and Tribune Magazine among others.

- About Bristol Transformed -
We are a volunteer-run socialist education group. We bring people together to discuss the most important issues facing us, and equip ourselves with the skills and knowledge to transform our world.

Our annual festival of politics, arts and culture is in May, and we hold events on most Tuesdays throughout the year. See all our events here: https://hdfst.uk/bristol-transformed&#x20;

Bristol Transformed is run by dozens of local people. Without new people every year, we wouldn't be able to maintain the same standard of events that you enjoy. If you'd be interested in joining us, sign up as a BT volunteer today! https://cloud.seatable.io/dtable/forms/d3a761c9-4c79-4b10-b38e-50bbad501bcc/