Topic: Data

Adam Curry and Jason Calacanis discuss survivalism and the 1% chance of societal collapse. Calacanis admits he doesn't know how to skin a deer, prompting Curry to suggest downloading YouTube tutorials for offline use. They discuss the existence of thumb drives pre-loaded with Wikipedia and other essential data for "off-grid" scenarios.

Electricians from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are traveling to Memphis, Tennessee, to work on massive data center projects funded by Elon Musk. Workers report earning over $8,000 per week, leading to a local debate over a proposed data center moratorium. While some local leaders want to pause construction, union members cite the projects as a significant economic boon for the South.

A growing national backlash against massive AI data centers is becoming a pivotal issue in the 2026 midterms, particularly in Ohio and Kentucky. Voters are concerned about the immense energy requirements and the impact on local farmland, with some ballot initiatives seeking to limit center size to 25 megawatts. In Kentucky, residents have voiced fears that AI is "anti-human" and lacks moral standards, leading to organized resistance against land buyouts.

Anthropic held a five-hour investor day in New York to justify its potential $2 trillion valuation ahead of a record-setting IPO. The company reported $16.8 billion in third-quarter revenue and claimed to be generating positive free cash flow with an 85% gross margin. However, skeptics question these "adjusted" metrics, noting the high costs of data centers and compute power required to sustain the business.

The hosts discuss the practical downsides and security vulnerabilities of connecting home appliances like refrigerators and washing machines to Wi-Fi. They share personal anecdotes about avoiding "smart" features in LG and Samsung products to prevent hacking and data surveillance.

Adam Curry explains the importance of downloading ".md" (markdown) files from AI assistants to maintain data portability and preserve the "soul" or personality profile the AI has built. Matt Long discusses the psychological difficulty of breaking his habit of being polite to the AI, noting that he still feels the urge to say "please" and "thank you" to the machine.

Walmart plans to install digital price tags in all U.S. stores by the end of the year, enabling price changes in seconds. A report from the Groundwork Collaborative alleges that Walmart intends to use these labels for dynamic pricing based on individual consumer profiles and real-time demand. Walmart denied the claims, stating they price products based on market factors rather than individual shoppers.

A Financial Times report suggests a $20 billion discrepancy in OpenAI's reported revenue numbers, causing a downturn in tech stocks like Oracle and Broadcom. While OpenAI claims annualized revenue is approaching $50 billion, previous reports suggested figures closer to $70 billion. The uncertainty has cooled investor enthusiasm for the massive data center build-outs required to power AI ecosystem growth.

The cost of digital storage media, including SD cards and SSDs, has seen a massive increase due to the demand from AI data centers. A 256GB SD card that cost $74 in February 2024 now retails for over $200, while high-capacity hard drives have nearly doubled in price. The hosts advise listeners to purchase storage hardware well in advance of their needs to avoid "data center inflation."

Donald Trump officially rebrands Artificial Intelligence (AI) as "Super Intelligence" (SI) during the announcement of a "morally binding" accord signed by industry leaders. Andrew Horowitz argues that the rebranding and the accord are primarily marketing tactics to support upcoming AI IPOs and protect real estate investments in data centers. The hosts discuss the lack of government regulation and the self-policing nature of the agreement.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a town hall, warning that billionaires intend to use AI to "wipe out livelihoods" and hoard resources. She argues that AI systems are founded on the "theft" of personal data, faces, and behaviors, and that they aim to sell cognition back to the public. The hosts mock her rhetoric, contrasting it with the "Super Intelligence" branding used by the Trump administration.

The Federal Reserve is struggling to control inflation caused by massive capital inflows into AI data center buildouts. Investors are increasingly favoring high-yield corporate bonds and data center loans over riskier venture capital or IPOs. This shift in capital allocation is driving up interest rates as the Treasury competes with the private bond market.

Oracle recently invoked a force majeure clause on a data center project due to energy supply issues involving Bloom Energy fuel cells. Despite these hurdles, Texas has become the leader in U.S. solar deployment, driven by the economic benefits of wind and sun in West Texas. Jason Calacanis predicts the "data center trade" will eventually slow down as energy constraints mount.

A new poll shows two-thirds of Americans oppose data centers in their communities due to concerns over water usage, electricity bills, and noise. In Virginia and Indiana, grassroots groups and faith leaders are protesting new facilities, while some local officials view them as a "godsend" for tax revenue. Meta's $50 billion investment in Louisiana has drawn criticism from environmentalists regarding air and water quality.

Adam Curry and Jason Calacanis debate the impact of data centers on local communities, touching on noise, water usage, and electricity costs. Calacanis argues that the industry has shifted to paying for its own infrastructure and taxes, while Curry points out that many Texas data centers use "stranded power" from wind and methane flaring. They discuss how the media and politicians use data center concerns as a partisan wedge issue.

Claims are made that Large Language Models (LLMs) have reached their functional limits, leading industry leaders to call for a slowdown. Meanwhile, the expansion of data centers in places like Finland is characterized as a wealth-building strategy that President Trump views as the "oil of the next 25 years."

Critics like Heather Cox Richardson raise alarms over Elon Musk's $100 million investment in the midterm elections and his support for the website votesafe.org. They claim the site harvests personal data for political targeting. The hosts point out the hypocrisy of these claims, noting that mainstream platforms and Democratic organizations engage in similar data practices.

Walmart's updated mobile application privacy policy reveals extensive data collection including keystroke patterns, voice prints, iris imagery, and face geometry. The hosts critique the trade-off of personal privacy for small financial incentives or convenience. They note that modern smart devices, such as LG TVs, are designed to listen and monitor users continuously under the terms of their End User License Agreements.

The expansion of data centers in the United States is presented as a potential economic revitalizer for small towns, providing significant tax revenue and jobs for the working class. The hosts address concerns about noise pollution, clarifying that modern liquid-cooled GPU facilities are much quieter than older air-cooled Bitcoin mining operations. Loudoun County, Virginia, is cited as a successful example of high-density data center integration in a high-income area.

The city of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, moved to cancel its contract with Flock Safety after the company attempted to sell the city five years of traffic speed and movement data captured by its own cameras. Local law enforcement expressed a loss of trust in the system due to undisclosed data collection and reports of officers nationwide misusing the surveillance tools for personal reasons. The segment includes a brief appreciation for the geography and culture of Wisconsin.