Oakland University in Michigan has recently approved the construction of a new data center and AI institute on campus. The decision proved controversial among some Michigan residents, as many believe it will not benefit the university’s students.
According to ClickOnDetroit, Oakland University’s Board of Trustees voted to advance a project that would establish a data center and enhance students’ training in AI, which officials say could give the university an “edge” by making its students more competitive in AI research.
However, the decision was met with criticism from some groups, as opponents said they were not allowed to speak before the approval. Many faculty members and students remain opposed to the project because they are concerned about its potential environmental impacts. Groups representing Native communities in Michigan have also criticized the proposal.
The proposed facility would cover about 15 acres, making it significantly smaller than some of the largest data centers in the United States, and the university is pursuing a partnership with Fairmount Properties to construct it. According to the report, the facility would use only about 2% of the energy consumed by a large hyperscale data center.
Michigan Residents React to AI Data Center Plans
Michigan residents on r/Michigan were mostly against the idea of building an AI data center on Oakland University’s campus. One of them asked: “On campus? That campus is very nice; last time I visited, now it will be god-awful with the droning of 10,000 server rack fans.”
Others complained: “Who cares about the future of the campus or planet? We have short-term gains to take before dipping out and making it the next person’s problem; it’s the American Way.” One seemingly angry user said: “Do they realize this will kill the school? No one wants their campus experience ruined by a data center.”
A user who likely frequents the campus also stated: “The power has gone out around here (including the traffic lights around campus) twice this week. They can’t even provide reliable electricity in this area already; why the [expletive] do they think it can support a data center too?”
While some users did not understand why there was such strong backlash against the project, one user summarized the overall sentiment of the thread: “They were literally going to put this across the street from a dorm until outrage made them move it.”
It remains to be seen whether the university’s plans to build an AI data center will move forward.
