Across the country, Americans are debating how their lives might change if new AI data centers are built in their neighborhoods. These data centers, which power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, are promised to bring new jobs and economic growth by companies that operate them and their customers. However, many Americans are not convinced, often opposing such projects due to concerns about the environment and energy use. For some, these concerns are not just theoretical—they are deeply personal. Shawmar Pitts, a lifelong resident of the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia, knows firsthand the impact of industrialization on communities. Growing up near what was once the East Coast’s largest oil refinery, which shut down after an explosion in 2019, Pitts witnessed the health effects of living near such facilities. Many of his friends and family suffered from chronic illnesses, but it wasn’t until he met the environmental justice group Philly Thrive in 2018 that he realized the connection between industrial pollution and these health issues. “I read the information they had on the table about how living near the refinery affects you, and I'm looking at all the sicknesses on this paper, and I'm like, 'My mother has this, my sister has that, my next-door neighbor suffers from this' – every house, someone has something on that list,” Pitts told TechCrunch. Now the managing co-director of Philly Thrive, he is leading efforts to block new data center construction in Philadelphia. Residents across the United States have increasingly resisted the construction of data centers, especially in communities already burdened by industrial pollution. In Philadelphia, city officials have identified two potential sites for data centers—one in Northeast Philadelphia and the other in Pitts’ Grays Ferry neighborhood. Philly Thrive, along with other local activists, argues that data centers would bring more pollution, noise, and no real economic benefit. “We don’t want data centers,” said Sonya Sanders, president of Philly Thrive’s board, at a recent rally. “We don’t want the pollution, we don’t want the noise, and we know they’re not going to bring us more jobs.” Sanders’ husband, who lived in Grays Ferry, died of a rare bone cancer in 2020. She believes that emissions from the former oil refinery contributed to his illness, saying, “In my eyes, they killed him. The pollution killed him.” While a data center in Philadelphia may not have the same environmental impact as the now-defunct Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery, the global push to dominate the AI industry is expected to significantly increase energy consumption. According to BloombergNEF, U.S. data centers could consume more natural gas by 2035 than Germany and Japan combined—nearly double the firm’s previous estimate. Although natural gas burns cleaner than oil, it still releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Harvard researchers found in 2021 that fossil fuel pollution contributes to one in five deaths worldwide, a number that is likely to rise with the expansion of AI infrastructure. As a result, activists argue that data centers will worsen climate change, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves. In response to public concern, some states and cities have enacted temporary bans on new data center projects. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order halting permits for large projects, stating that progress should not come at the cost of increased utility bills or environmental harm. Similar moratoriums have been approved in cities like Denver, Indianapolis, Asheville, Charlotte, and Reno. These measures aim to give officials more time to study the potential impacts of data centers. As the No Data Centers in Philly campaign gains momentum, residents hope their voices will influence city officials. “I just think that our community standing up and fighting back is tremendous,” said Pitts. “It takes a lot of effort and a lot of people.”