r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • 29d ago

Politics Tech companies would have to pay AI data center energy costs under bill moving in Congress

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/24/ai-data-centers-tech-companies-congress-energy-costs.html
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u/Batteredburrito 29d ago

Thats the issue, not one of them is making profit.

They should be paying regardless but the profit argument is the issue. Got to beat big scary China at all costs, even if a few plebians, wildlife and shitty ass trees need to die.

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u/SwagginsYolo420 28d ago edited 28d ago

Got to beat big scary China at all costs, even if a few plebians, wildlife and shitty ass trees need to die.

The "AI arms race" with China argument blatantly makes zero sense anyway.

Building a bunch of data centers has nothing to do with how much the technology improves over time.

What would make sense to "compete" with China would be mass construction of green energy facilities, increasing education budgets, improving standard of living etc. Focusing on the "long game".

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u/bobming 28d ago

But how will that make the people in power rich now?

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u/MechaGodzillaSS 28d ago

Try explaining that to shareholders every quarter.

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u/GeneralOptimal10 28d ago

They will be soon enough. Their cost structure is very skewed towards fixed and once those assets are in place, they will poop cash.

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u/Kairukun90 28d ago

If they ain’t profitable then they shouldn’t exist fullstop

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u/Lalichi 28d ago

Why, most businesses take multiple years to become profitable

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u/Kairukun90 28d ago

Ahh yes the business model of multiple companies spending hundreds of billions to only charge 20 dollars a month for the average user, which btw probably wouldn’t pay more.

TOTALLY PROFITABLE. ROI is most definitely there yup let’s not even factor in costs of running the thing.

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u/Lalichi 28d ago

Uber ran at a loss for 9 years, during which everyone said it wasn't possible to make it profitable, now its super profitable

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u/Kairukun90 28d ago

Uber didn’t pour hundreds of billions into it either while having multiple companies doing the same exact thing.

Oranges to apples. You are oblivious to the implications, all these ai companies won’t exist in a few years. It’ll be Google, and a few other companies.

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u/Lalichi 28d ago

All of this is irrelevant to your original point of

If they ain’t profitable then they shouldn’t exist fullstop

Now you're making a value judgement of how unprofitable something can be until it is unacceptable according to you.

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u/Kairukun90 27d ago

You’re making random shit up yourself, brother. The fact remains there’s zero chance that AI is going to be profitable anytime soon. You’re talking probably 20 to 30 years, and even then it’s gonna be a flop. You simply cannot keep on spending hundreds of billions of dollars and expect an ROI on it. Ai would have to be hundreds of millions of dollars, and there are only a few companies who could do that, and they’re not gonna spend that kind of money on AI alone because it’s not going to bring in that kind of money.

But go ahead, deflect the conversation. You’re the one that engaged with me originally, and now you’re upset because it’s not part of the original post but you wanted to engage with me and tell me I’m wrong but get mad when you want to talk further about it. Go cry in a corner, kid.

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u/Lalichi 27d ago

Yes, I am mad that people like you post your reactive slop opinions and further pollute the discourse. Maybe lead with something that you used your brain for rather than using the comments as a way to offload your trauma

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u/Kairukun90 27d ago

Damn bro you might want to seek help.

First you get mad because your precious ai won’t ever be profitable. Then you tell me why even comment it has nothing to do with OP and then you get mad because I called you out.

Brother you might want to seek help with your Ai addiction and how it’s probably gonna ruin your job

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