Musicians Challenge Data Center Expansion With 40-Year-Old AI Persona

Appalachian musicians are turning to protest songs to voice opposition against the rapid construction of data centers across the region. These artists argue that the artificial intelligence facilities threaten local landscapes and community autonomy, echoing grievances from the coal mining era of the early 1900s.

Ted Olson, a music historian at East Tennessee State University, notes that protest music holds a sacred place in Appalachian culture. He explains that this tradition emerged during the mine wars when workers struck against exploitative labor practices. The song "Which Side Are You On?" was born from this period after activist Florence Reese adapted a hymn melody following a raid on her home in Harlan County, Kentucky.

Betsy Jakob, lead singer of the folk-rock band Betsy from Mars, draws a direct line between historical labor struggles and the current tech boom. Jakob, who is based in Richmond, Virginia, says she co-wrote the song "Star Rider" about a worker stranded on the moon by corporate greed. She argues that the push for technological advancement often ignores the human cost and local autonomy.

"I have never heard of a community that wants a data center," Jakob said. She views the new developments as being driven by the same forces that historically exploited Appalachian resources.

West Virginian musician Greg Wilder is targeting the Ridgeline project, a proposed data center development in Tucker County. Wilder used the ChatGPT application to research the project for his song. He prompted the AI to act as a 40-year-old average resident of Davis or Thomas, West Virginia, and asked for three reasons to vote for or against the development.

The AI suggested the project was in the wrong place due to state laws removing local control and a lack of job guarantees. It also cited potential damage to natural beauty, specifically listing locations like Davis, Thomas, and Blackwater Falls. Wilder incorporated these specific place names into his chorus, creating a "data center blues" song based on the machine's analysis.

The musical duo McLaughlin Darling also released a track called "AI OH NO" with longtime folk musician Tom Paxton. Shane McClaughlin says the song addresses how generative artificial intelligence may homogenize human creativity. Margot Darling notes that their social media efforts now involve competing against AI-generated content, a trend she describes as dystopian.

Olson states that protest songs help immortalize social struggles by bringing creativity to current events. McClaughlin encourages other Appalachians to write their own music if they cannot find existing art that resonates, arguing that creating art lifts the human spirit in a way artificial intelligence cannot replicate.