# Opinion: Solnit urges Americans to oppose tech oligarchs amid AI backlash

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-20T19:16:05Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/opinion-solnit-urges-americans-to-oppose-tech-oligarchs-amid-ai-backla

## Summary

Rebecca Solnit writes that growing public anger toward AI, datacenters and surveillance tech is turning into a nationwide movement. She cites datacenterwatch.org, which says at least 142 activist groups in 24 states are working to block new datacenter construction, and notes a September march in San Francisco where more than 1,000 nurses and community members demanded hospitals cut ties with Palantir, the surveillance firm founded by Peter Thiel.

Solnit points to recent policy steps, such as New York City’s ban on AI tools for students through eighth grade and a wave of lawsuits against Meta over harms to children. She also references internal dissent at AI labs: former Anthropic safety employee Jacob Coxon warned of near‑term apocalyptic risks, Anthropic’s IPO filing acknowledged “catastrophic or existential risks,” and OpenAI’s David Robinson quit, saying “the future depends on wisdom that Silicon Valley lacks.” The column frames the midterm elections as a referendum on the GOP’s alignment with big‑tech interests and calls the emerging “beautiful hatred” a defense of democracy, humanity and the environment.

## Key points

- Datacenterwatch.org reports at least 142 activist groups in 24 states opposing new datacenters
- More than 1,000 nurses marched in San Francisco demanding hospitals drop Palantir surveillance software
- New York City bans AI tools for students through eighth grade and lawsuits target Meta over child harms

## Why it matters

The piece highlights mounting grassroots and legislative pushback against AI, signaling potential policy shifts that could reshape tech deployment and regulation.

## Sources

1. [Americans, this is your chance to slap down the tech broligarchs](https://theguardian.com/global/2026/oct/19/midterm-elections-tech-broligarchs) (The Guardian AI, 2026-10-20)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Opinion: Solnit urges Americans to oppose tech oligarchs amid AI backlash", 20 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/opinion-solnit-urges-americans-to-oppose-tech-oligarchs-amid-ai-backla

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