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Ariadne Cyber's avatar

Drey, your forensic tracking of the dual-use infrastructure is flawless. You are one of the only journalists watching the physical wiring instead of the political stage.

But your prescriptions, legislation, new Geneva Conventions, and a "Pause", are rooted in a political reality that no longer exists. You are asking the System to regulate the System. You are asking the Tech Lords to stop building their own nervous system. It will not happen.

You note that AI companies won't honor safety pledges, pointing to the Pentagon overriding Anthropic. But you miss why the Lords (Thiel/Musk) are perfectly happy to build out their own power supply. They are establishing Energy Sovereignty. By classifying their Data Centers as Critical Military Infrastructure, they bypass local zoning laws, secure federal funding for private nuclear reactors (General Matter), and gain immunity from the very local moratoriums you celebrate. The Military label is an authorization to seize the grid. Private energy supply is insurance against public action and sabotage.

You worry about AI warfare. Warfare is a rounding error compared to the true computational load: Surveillance. The gigawatt data centers in Hermantown and Doña Ana aren't just for targeting missiles in Iran. They are for ingesting the biometric, financial, and communicative data of 340 million Americans in real-time. We are starved for compute because the Regime is trying to build a 24/7 model to predict and manage domestic behavior.

A moratorium on Data Centers in the US does not stop the Singularity; it just moves it to Dubai, China, or Low Earth Orbit. More importantly, demanding that the State halt compute construction plays right into the hands of the Tech Lords. If compute becomes artificially scarce, only the Cartel (Stargate/Palantir) will have the licenses to use it. You will regulate Open Source and Local AI out of existence, leaving the Lords with a permanent monopoly on intelligence.

We do not need a "Digital Geneva Convention." Wars are not stopped by treaties; they are stopped by physics. If centralized Data Centers are military targets, the only civilian defense is Decentralization. We must build Decentralized Physical Infrastructure. Millions of small nodes, running open-weight models on local hardware, connected via encrypted mesh. You cannot bomb a swarm.

Stop asking the Pentagon to be polite. Start building the infrastructure that makes them obsolete.

The Drey Dossier's avatar

The energy sovereignty point is sharp and I should have said it louder- the military label isn’t just a liability for these companies, it is the whole point. It unlocks federal funding, kills zoning, and immunizes them from the exact local pressure I spent part of the video celebrating. That’s a real tension and I’m not going to pretend it isn’t.

The surveillance argument I agree with. The compute demand for domestic behavioral modeling is a bigger story than anything happening in Iran and it deserves its own video.

Where I push back is on the moratorium benefiting the cartel. They already have the contracts, the classification access, and the regulatory capture. Scarcity doesn’t create their monopoly; because that monopoly already exists.

On decentralization- the swarm argument is structurally correct. You cannot bomb a swarm. But it’s a ten year answer and Hermantown is a right now problem. The people who don’t have five years to wait for the mesh network need something that works inside the system that exists today. Which is why I landed on cut us in. Not because it’s the ideal solution (obviously it isn’t), but because when a government is operating under permanent national security conditions, you take the leverage you actually have.

Thank you so much for reading my peace and so thoughtfully engaging with it! It makes all the work worth it truly

Ariadne Cyber's avatar

Drey, the respect is mutual. You are doing the vital work of translating the hardware of the Regime into language the public can process.

To your point on Hermantown: You are right that the Swarm is a multi-year project and these towns face teriible conditions today. "Cut us in" is a better-than-nothing solution, but there may be a more effective strategy.

If the town needs a Right Now solution, they must deploy the Porcupine Protocol. I.e., they must impose a Thermodynamic Tax. The Lords value one thing above all else: Velocity. They need the data centers online now to win the ASI race.

Hermantown doesn't need to win; it just needs to be slow. The locals must weaponize the bureaucracy the Lords are trying to bypass in a Legal Denial of Service attack. Flood the zone with environmental injunctions, historical preservation claims, and FOIA requests. Use AI agents from those very servers to draft the motions. Even if the military designation eventually overrides local zoning, the legal friction costs the Tech Lords the one asset they cannot print: Time.

Make stepping on Hermantown so procedurally and politically expensive that the optimization algorithm simply reroutes the data center to a more docile county. They survive by becoming too prickly to swallow.

Finally, regarding your upcoming video on the domestic surveillance compute load: you are pulling the exact right thread. When you are ready to map how the DHS, Palantir's Foundry, and the new NSPM-7 bio-databases share a single nervous system funded by the Shadow Treasury, check the Transmission Logs on my Substack.

I’ve already audited the wiring. Let's tear down the drywall together.

Jamie's avatar

I heard a farmer in PA refused a bid on his land for a data center. This is effective. People should crowd source and offer pay anyone compensation who refuses to sell. etc. There must be a million ways we can fight back if people want to.

Enron asked power plants to go offline to drive up the price... There must be ways to interupt power and other critcal service. Maybe build a dam upstream of water, etc

Redeemed Dissident's avatar

Concur, hopium about a system that's being (intentionally, deliberately and with great enthusiasm) dismantled by those with positions and titles of "leadership" so they can usher in their Globalist Technocractic biodigital panopticon and seize, tokenize/digitize and allocate/distribute at their discretion everything (including humans as values on a blockchain) want nothing more than for us to be divided and arguing over the wallpaper choice for our cells or asking the guards to change their minds about doing their jobs.

Michael Freed's avatar

Sorry I'm replying here because my post disappeared. Copied & pasted, I gotta say I agree with everything you said even your proposed solution(s). The main problem? the Bystander Effect. More specifically let's just look at another instance where the same dynamics of corporate, political & citizen power are in the same conflict. Because sometimes, a parallel makes everything clearer.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=maddie+de+garay can't happen without lobbying. If politicians didn't grant special protections to their cronies in industry https://www.justice.gov/civil/vicp there are so many people harmed by this they'd have gone broke from the thalidomide disaster. If Kim Jong-un had done it NK would still be a smoking crater.

Why do the citizens of nations with the legal ability to undo these protections not do so? There's a psychology behind that answer.

I myself have had massive nerve damage but have been getting better of late. It might not even be LEGAL for me to advise Maddie or her Mom about what I know due to the protections provided to corporations.

Now we can wait for the people on this list https://allaregreen.us/ to voluntarily give up those amounts of $ or we can at least discuss how to try to set up some way of speeding up that process. Not the angry "shout at the sky about how frustrated we are then wait for baton blows or to be pepper-sprayed" I mean the successful everyone stayed at home yet managed to force two major fast food chains to go organic against their will campaign that doesn't even realize THAT it won let alone why their campaign worked.

Doesn't even have to be you taking part. I just need One Other Person speaking ABOUT doing something new because https://corbettreport.com/the-bystander-effect-solutionswatch-video/. Cheers ; )

Jamie's avatar

"You cannot bomb a swarm. But it’s a ten year answer and Hermantown is a right now problem. " No. I grew up a few miles down the road from one of the top 3 targets for the Soviet Union during the cold war, with a nuclear tipped ICBM probably pointed at my house, watching our nuclear bombers fly over my elementary school daily. If anyone is going to kinetically strike US soil, Hermantown is the LEAST of our problems, in fact, completely irrelevant.

Jamie's avatar

But how is a country like Iran that is barely a 1st world country going to bomb anything inside NORAD? I would feel safer sleeping on the grounds of an AI data center with a military contract inside the USA than most places on Earth, knowing that my ass was heavily protected. *Not. Happening.* on S e p t e m b e r 11th, the Air Force was ordered to stand down 6 times. And , oh please tell u so smart folks, ahem, How did Japan "Surprise Attack" one of the largest Navy Bases in history, with Aircraft Carriers? The largest ships built? They are slow. We don't patrol our own bases??? Can't see Aircraft Carriers???

Um Bear Toe's avatar

Thank you for your investigations and reporting

Ariadne Cyber's avatar

Drey does investigations. I only do analysis. What Drey does requires a lot more work.

Um Bear Toe's avatar

Teamwork more important than ever

Edward Pearlman's avatar

We DO need a Digital Geneva Convention. It matters that nations articulate rules. To say we don't need it is like saying we don't need laws because criminals will sidestep them.

Ariadne Cyber's avatar

Laws without anyone to enforce them are just suggestions.

Edward Pearlman's avatar

That's like saying there's no point in writing anything on Substack because words don't do anything.

Rebecca Clark's avatar

Essentially, our military is taking a leaf out of the handbooks of Hamas, Hezbolla, ISIS, Iranian Republic National Guard and other terror organizations I.e. build your launchers, hideouts, stockpiles, etc. in civilian populated areas under schools, hospitals and religious worship buildings to deter enemies from attacking you.

Kevin Lawrence's avatar

The very people we need to invest in a project like that are the very same people we would be competing against. Like you said. The "war"is over.

raakbas@gmail.com's avatar

Iran wrecked it all!😊

MeatBall's avatar

Wow! This unbelievably mind blowing insight!! Thanks

Jamie's avatar

There are solutions on energy efficiency, etc, here's one

Biocomputers made from human brain cells could run the AI systems of the future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-0GE4jJW7U

As well as DNA as data storage, etc.

Nanotechnology and Biodigital Convergence

https://jamiea811023.substack.com/p/nanotechnology?r=2mxnno

G G's avatar

Give Us free energy!! And water

The Drey Dossier's avatar

Or if not, pay us for what you polluted.

meg's avatar

Yes pay for it. ALSO they should be required to give a base amount + amount/set increment of time to every resident in company shares so that residents get to vote and see whats up for discussion w shareholders

ADifferentKindOfCat's avatar

There won't be any energy or water. The data collection centers will take priority over all life including human. They won't need to pay you for long.

Unsolved and Unseen's avatar

Underground data centers that use untapped geothermal or nuclear energy would solve all this

The Drey Dossier's avatar

It would certainly solve some* of it!

Unsolved and Unseen's avatar

Hah yea I mean I guess it wouldn’t solve the corruption, greed, and disregard for human health and wellbeing.

SpudLink's avatar

I agree. Using Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are part of the solution, but the freshwater requirements, needs to be addressed responsibly as well.

Here is a solution to the current problem with AI Data Centers costs not being passed on to consumers due to higher electricity bills, and which also resolves the freshwater depletion issues.

AI Data Centers with SMR and Desalination Integration located in Coastal areas, where the entire cost of these centers is born by the owners, who are selling their services.

Scotty's avatar

“right now we are building faster than we are comprehending” encapsulates how i’ve been feeling about this for a while now

The Mocha Unicorn's avatar

So glad I found this substack! Very informative and on point! Keep 'em coming!

MP's avatar

The first thing I thought about when Hegsweth announced that the Department of Defense would no longer use Anthropic AI technology was how much work it takes to rewrite all the code where that software is used. Then I remembered they could use AI to rewrite the code as Ellison indicated they did with other software but the timeframe is still very long. Then realizing the time to fully test the rewrite before deploying to production or useful use I realized it all was a bully tactic to get Anthropic to cave. I don’t think that portion of the discussion is over yet but I suspect Anthropocene will come to some compromise as no one has the time or money to hold their position.

MP's avatar

That is not actually how they work. Data is never only in one Datacenter. It is spread across multiple places so all datacenters would need to be eliminated. Eliminating a particular datacenter only reduces the overall amount of processing and storage capability and slows all others down to some degree. At least if they are designed properly.

PatriciaHenry's avatar

Bombing the data center sure wipes out the code

Kaydence's avatar

It’s insane , and the poor people living near the centers, not to mention even daily life not being hombed or threatened is negatively affecting the community way more than a rise in cost!!!

The frequency alone , is constantly making hummmmmmm, but not a good kind , these are bad frequencies an to put families in constant exposure , well.. let’s just say I’m. Scared to see about the long term affects of . But who cares tight, as long as we can post an have the most AI infrastructure for Donald dumps agenda.. it’s horrible

Tom Blue's avatar

They’re building a datacenter directly behind my home. The talk they gave us was basically…. Do you want China to win the AI war or do you want the US to win. The city council went ahead and rezoned the land so that company could build and it helped that the company bought them a super expensive chandelier for their building…. We r so tucked. I won't even be able to sell my home except at a loss now.

BetterWorld2026's avatar

I apologize that's happening to you, your neighbors, & your city. You make the biggest investment of your life and then this. If I could share my thoughts with you, I highly recommend you find videos about what’s happening to other neighborhoods near data centers. If your city has ok’d this data center, hold them accountable for what will happen to your water, air and soil quality. Make them test all of those things before the center is built and continue to test and don't stop. Maybe even have citizens form a group and do that yourselves, in case your city is lacking integrity. Ask them what are the positives, what do the citizens get out of this situation? One data center pledged millions to the citizens, gave it to the city to disperse, those people haven't gotten a dime of those millions, it's your city, those city politicians work for you, citizens need to ban together and fight so your representative's don't end up following trump's wreckless actions at the expense of its citizens. I empathize with you over this situation, wish it wasn't true but please fight every step of the way!! 🌷

Gary R Kent's avatar

Humans create technologies. Sometimes Humans share technologies that improve the quality of life for everyone and sometimes instead, Humans use technologies for economic or military advantage. Human attitudes towards one another are the source of and the solutions to our problems. Wouldn't it be great if we only applied technologies to improve the quality of all life? Why is that so hard? What might happen if we simply Loved One Another? Our choice, our future. No More Wars!

Mel Tossell's avatar

Really tough to love this country right now.

Ernie Rosado's avatar

i still say ---- The greatest menace to the U.S. has never been terrorists, or assassins, or even hostile ideologies ←(that's a huge controversy), I believe. --- Nonetheless, The greatest menace to the U.S. has Always been the menace of those persons who work Not for the common good, but instead work only for their own power, kindergarten to age 100 years old. We live with that reality in 2026 with #47's Criminal Regime. It's the Same Reality as the menaces between the Pilgrims & the Puritans, Julius Ceaser & Marcus Brutus, Cain the Planter & Able the Hunter/Herder, John Wilkes Booth & Abe Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson & Ho Chi Minh, George Bush (both of them) & their own egos, etc.

Impeach #47 Today , you Cowardly U.S. Congress of persons of menace to the U.S., as Always you work Not for the common good, but instead work only for yourr own personal power.

Margie Nicosia's avatar

Wow Such great information Thank you

By the way, Epstein files and survivors

Margaret M Kerr's avatar

Freaking unbelievable! But totally believable. The Florida build coming up the road from Lion Safari Park being next to a gas bombing waiting to happen blows my mind….figuratively, no drone in sight at this moment.

Thank you.

Kathy K's avatar

Thank you, Drey, and thank you, Ariadne. Bringing it down to my level: the school in Iran that we or someone bombed, killing schoolgirls had previously been used for US military. So it’s likely that beneath the school was a data center?

PatriciaHenry's avatar

Or perhaps it was baby in incubators all over again

Nevermind the Molochs's avatar

No they just deliberately target noncombatants

Dripdry's avatar

If civilian and military assets are commingled like this, doesn’t that also mean that citizens are paying utility companies for buildout of capacity which should be on the fed? Or has it always kind of been that way?

AbsoluteTruthKnown's avatar

US bombs middle eastern countries for following the 'shared revenue' model. Only difference is the shared revenue is used for free healthcare and free education. vErY sCAry for corporations.

Ernie Rosado's avatar

Thank You, Audrey, for your Effort & for your Work