2026-06-01 20:46 UTCIn-site rewrite1 min readUpdated: 2026-06-30 13:03 UTC

Can you stop AI datacenters? Comedian Charlie Berens thinks so – Stateside with Kai and Carter

Comedian Charlie Berens fights AI datacenters with comedy after learning about their impact on local communities.

SourceThe Guardian AIAuthor: Hosted by Carter Sherman . Produced by Suzanne Gaber and Tiara Chiaramonte , engineered by Ivan Kuraev executive producer Rachel Humphreys

Last summer, Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens started getting messages from people in his state about plans for a major datacenter in their community. When Berens dug in, he was shocked to discover the impact the datacenter would have on local residents. So he responded with comedy. The video he posted online about the datacenter went viral, and Berens has been on the frontlines of the fight against datacenters ever since. Carter Sherman speaks to Berens about how he is using his comedy as a tool for activism

‘Nobody’s negotiating for the people here’: comedian Charlie Berens takes on AI datacenters

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Stateside with Kai and Carter

AI (artificial intelligence)