Chevron, Data Centers, AI, and Worker Concerns Dominate Tech News

Chevron Wants a School District Tax Break for a Data Center Power Plant in Texas

The move could save the oil company hundreds of millions, even as Texas lawmakers start looking at reining in incentives for data centers.

Data Center Operators Are Trying to Fix Their Water Use Problems

Google, Microsoft, and other hyperscalers have come under scrutiny for their impact on water quality and availability.

What Microsoft Executives Really Thought About OpenAI in 2018

Leaders at the tech giant were skeptical of OpenAI—but wary of pushing it into the arms of Amazon, according to evidence revealed during the Musk v. Altman trial.

After Struggling With EVs, US Automakers Pivot to Energy

Ford and GM are backing away from electric vehicles and moving into the battery storage business. And it all comes back to AI.

Illinois Lawmakers Just Passed America’s Strongest AI Safety Bill

The bill requires companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google to have third parties confirm they’re following safety standards. Illinois governor JB Pritzker says he’ll sign it.

There’s a Long-Shot Proposal to Protect California Workers From AI

California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is proposing a new jobs guarantee for workers displaced by artificial intelligence.

SpaceX Is Spending $2.8 Billion to Buy Gas Turbines for Its AI Data Centers

The investment comes as Elon Musk’s AI unit faces complaints about the carbon-emitting units and looks to become a big player in cloud computing.

Google DeepMind Workers Vote to Unionize Over Military AI Deals

UK staff of Google’s AI research lab hope to block the use of the company’s artificial intelligence models in military settings.

US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows

As Americans stew over the looming risk of job-stealing AI and data centers in their back yards, the feds are raising the alarm about a new category of threat, documents obtained by WIRED show.

Palantir Held Another ‘Hack Week.’ This Time, the Focus Was ICE

The hackathon, held to build user-auditing tools for Palantir customers, comes as the company struggles to address employee concerns over its relationship with ICE.

Meta’s New Reality: Record High Profits. Record Low Morale

Next week, Meta is cutting about 10 percent of its staff. WIRED spoke with more than a dozen current and former employees about what it's like inside a company where “everyone is unhappy.”