Stop incentives for AI data centres
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to end incentives and fast‑tracking for AI data centres, halt projects not transparently community‑vetted, commission a study, require community‑led approvals, and impose taxes and enforceable regulations on AI products.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would stop subsidies and fast‑tracking, giving communities a decisive role to vet local impacts before projects proceed.
- A public study could identify environmental and social harms from AI data centres, informing evidence‑based safeguards.
- Taxing and enforceable regulations would create incentives for safer, more transparent operations and improved energy and water efficiency.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Ending incentives and revoking permits could deter investment and slow economic development, risking lost jobs and local revenue.
- Requiring projects to be initiated by local communities and approved locally may be impractical for regional infrastructure and could enable local opposition to block needed projects.
- Strict taxes and regulations could raise costs, reduce competitiveness, and push providers to locate services outside Canada.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada AI data centres are being constructed across Canada with high secrecy and low community involvement; AI data centres are known to cause noise and water pollution, and strain water reservoirs and energy grids; The buildout of AI infrastructure is concurrent with proponents of AI arguing for its potential to eliminate significant numbers of jobs across society, at a time when Canadians are struggling with job security; Industrial proponents of AI data centres have avoided good faith dialogue and collaboration to resolve the societal implications of their products and infrastructure; and AI adoption and infrastructure are undermining Canada's digital sovereignty, with public services and local AI infrastructure committed to foreign AI products. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Cease all incentives, subsidies, and permit accelerations for AI data centres; 2. Revoke permits and supports for AI data centre projects that have not been rigorously and transparently vetted by the local community; 3. Commission a detailed study for public release on negative externalities associated with existing AI data centres in Canada and elsewhere; 4. Require that all AI infrastructure projects be initiated and sought out by local communities, and be put through a transparent and democratic approval process; and 5. Subject AI products to genuine taxes as well as enforceable regulations around safety, transparency, and power and water use effectiveness.
Government response
No government response is available yet.