Alberta AI Data Centre Opponent Vows Town Hall Protest Over Stalled Consultation in Canada

An Alberta man leading a movement against artificial intelligence data centres says provincial officials can expect to hear from protesters at an upcoming town hall. Ben Baril says he and other demonstrators will attend an Aug. 20 hearing in Sturgeon County to tell Premier Danielle Smith's government that true public consultation would mean halting the projects until concerns are addressed.

Alberta has already announced that tech giant Meta is building a massive facility in the county, north of Edmonton, and several other AI data centres are in the works across the province. Baril says he is concerned about the impact the centres will have on the climate, as well as the province's water supply and electricity grid. The town hall in Sturgeon County is one of four the province will host, with the first scheduled for Aug.

19 in the central Alberta town of Ponoka. Technology Minister Nate Glubish is hosting the events and says Albertans deserve real answers on what these new infrastructure investments mean for them.