An anti-artificial intelligence rally in Saskatoon drew in a big crowd to Kinsmen Park on Sunday, providing a platform for people opposed to the construction of a data centre just outside Regina.

“The citizens are very much against these data centres and I am very much just a voice of community portraying that same sentiment and giving a space for people to have that conversation or to actually oppose these meetings,” said Thieb Milyon Deng, a co-founder of the Red Bear Party, the organization hosting the event.

This is just one of the three protests held so far across Saskatchewan as people voice their anger at the prospect of a data centre in their province.

A large crowd gathered outside the municipal office in Sherwood, the location of the data centre, when the plan was approved in April.

Deng says he’s concerned about the amount of consultation the government has done so far.

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“We’re finding out about it through newspapers, newsletters. They’re not really telling us, they’re not having us vote on these data centres, even though these environmental effects are very well documented.”

While the centre would use a closed-loop water system, meaning it doesn’t rely on fresh water for refilling, people are worried about other things it could bring and take away.

“The effects on water are understated; water is a resource we inherently need as human beings. But one thing that’s kept away from the public eye is how this affects animals too, and how this affects certain populations of insects, like bees. The noise and the vibrations from these frequencies actually kill bees,” Deng said.

He thinks the money for the data centre, over $1 billion, would be better spent elsewhere.

“We could put this money towards … better social safety nets … with the Prairie Harm [Reduction] being taken out of the budget, with things like Saskatoon’s water budget being cut from Station 20.”

And while he does explain there are some benefits to artificial intelligence, it depends on the setting and context.

“I have students in the university who do utilize AI for things like brain scans, do utilize things that come with bodily X-rays and whatnot. AI is still a needed tool in specific departments like the medical facility and whatnot, but generative AI we can move away from.”

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