Americans have long been told that data centers are the invisible backbone of modern life—silent, windowless buildings humming in far-off business parks, making our apps and clouds work. But in recent years, that invisibility has shattered. Opposition to data centers has become so widespread and culturally resonant that it has inspired a tongue-in-cheek rap song, a flood of investigative journalism, and even allegations from law enforcement that anti-data-center sentiment qualifies as “anti-tech violent extremist activity.” The satire itself proves the point: Hovey Benjamin’s lo-fi track “Data Center” is one of his most streamed songs, and its lyrics are deadpan absurdist…

Democracy has always depended on a shared sense of reality. Citizens need reliable information to decide who to trust, which policies to support, and where to cast their votes. But in the age of artificial intelligence, that shared reality is becoming harder to find. As South Africa prepares for municipal elections, in which some 29.2 million registered voters will choose local government leadership, a virtual media roundtable hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in partnership with the Government Communication and Information System and other stakeholders, set out to confront a growing challenge: digital narratives and AI-driven…