Americans speaking out<\/span> against artificial intelligence data centers on social media are falling under police surveillance, a confidential law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Intercept reveals.<\/p>\n A fusion center in Philadelphia combed through spicy internet comments from AI critics and concluded there is a growing risk of physical violence against data centers from \u201cdomestic violent extremists,\u201d ranging from white supremacists to anarchists.<\/p>\n \u201cDomestic violent extremists (DVEs) are likely interested in targeting artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, posing a physical and cyber threat to infrastructure in the Philadelphia regional area,\u201d the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center wrote in a December alert.<\/p>\n The fusion center distributed its warning, marked \u201cfor official use only,\u201d through the national fusion center network of state, local, and federal police agencies.<\/p>\n Like many of the reports<\/a> produced by fusion centers<\/a>, the bulletin points to news reports and social media posts, but cites little in the way of tangible threats. It acknowledges \u201ca lack of specific information on plans to target AI data centers in the Philadelphia area,\u201d but warns law enforcement that three planned data center facilities in the region could become targets of future protests.<\/p>\n Some of the anti-AI posts included in the document reflect hyperbolic anti-AI rhetoric that is widespread across social media, including an unnamed internet user who \u201cindicated a desire to \u2018burn down\u2019 data centers.\u201d Other examples of potentially terroristic posts included references to a fictional anti-robot movement in the science fiction novel \u201cDune\u201d and a Facebook meme.<\/p>\n The fusion center, housed inside the Philadelphia Police Department, warned that \u201cdisruptive First Amendment activity\u201d is an \u201cindicator\u201d of risk from \u201cDomestic Violent Extremists,\u201d an expansive term<\/a> favored by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n Fusion centers, which sprouted up across the country after the September 11, 2001, attacks, have long been criticized<\/a> for doing little to thwart actual terror plots and too much<\/a> to subject lawful protesters to suspicion and surveillance<\/a>. They have previously warned local cops<\/a> about the supposed threat from Black Lives Matter protesters<\/a> and Keystone XL to Line 3<\/a> pipeline opponents.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania has its own history of counterterror agencies targeting advocacy groups. In 2010, then-Gov. Ed Rendell apologized for the state Department of Homeland Security contracting with a private firm to produce fearmongering reports on groups including anti-fracking activists.<\/a><\/p>\n When it came to the recent data center activist report, longtime Philadelphia civil rights lawyer Paul Hetznecker said he was troubled by the fusion center\u2019s association of AI skeptics with terrorists.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are legitimate, popular political concerns that are raised by local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cThose are legitimate, popular political concerns that are raised by local communities,\u201d Hetznecker said. \u201cThis particular report from [the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center] reflects a very dangerous attempt to characterize that protected First Amendment activity \u2014 activity which is fundamental to our democracy \u2014 as something other, something more dangerous, a breeding ground for something more sinister.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In response to questions emailed to the Philadelphia Police Department and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, a spokesperson responded with a statement noting that the center \u201crecognizes and respects the rights of individuals to lawfully express opinions, engage in peaceful advocacy, and participate in protected First Amendment activities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFusion centers exist to help stakeholders understand emerging threats and hazards that could impact public safety, critical infrastructure, major events, government facilities, businesses, and the communities we serve,\u201d said Sgt. Eric Gripp, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department. \u201cThese assessments cover a wide range of topics and are designed to provide situational awareness, not to characterize lawful activity or constitutionally protected speech as criminal conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n The Intercept obtained the Philadelphia report as part of a larger cache of such documents from local fusion centers. It adds to growing evidence that counterterror officials are putting data center skeptics under a microscope. Last week, Wired magazine reported<\/a> on other notices from local intelligence agencies warning about \u201canti-tech extremism.\u201d Journalists Ken Klippenstein and Dan Boguslaw also reported<\/a> on a document from the U.S. Capitol Police Intelligence Services Bureau warning of the potential for anti-data center violence.<\/p>\n The reports are tied to a genuine upswell<\/a> in popular pushback against data centers<\/a>. The opposition extends well beyond the mishmash of far-right and far-left groups identified in the Philadelphia fusion center\u2019s report. Seven out of 10 Americans oppose having data centers as neighbors, a recent Gallup poll<\/a> found.<\/p>\n The fusion center report frames the outcry as a potential first step toward violence, telling local police with jurisdiction over the roughly 16 data centers near Philadelphia that they should be aware of angry online posts.<\/p>\n The report warns about posts on an \u201canti-capitalist blog that remains popular amongst local anarchist extremist collectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Under a title urging \u201cButlerian Jihad Against AI\u201d \u2014 a reference<\/a> to a book in the Dune science-fantasy series about humans revolting against their intelligent computer overlords \u2014 a post on the Philly Anti-Capitalist blog<\/a> said \u201conly we can decide to smash the screens that are brainwashing us into submission. The time is now, the day is here, ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!\u201d<\/p>\n The post was unattributed, did not include targets for attack, and included a cartoonish sketch of an old-fashioned computer struck by arrows. Nevertheless, local intelligence analysts appeared to take the threat seriously.<\/p>\n The bulletin also ticked off other signs of anti-data center furor. There was a meme post on shared on a local Facebook account with text reading: \u201cI cannot escape the feeling that I am morally obligated to sabotage AI data center infrastructure.\u201d Commenters on the post had discussed a proposed Amazon data center near Berwick, Pennsylvania, as a \u201cpotential target,\u201d according to the report. The Intercept was able to find other versions of this meme posted to Facebook and Instagram unrelated to the targeting of specific, physical data centers.<\/p>\n The fusion center bulletin also said that white supremacists and members of the dark online subculture dubbed \u201cnihilistic violent extremism\u201d by the FBI had agitated online against data centers.<\/p>\n The document also mentioned a DHS report highlighting a thread on an online image board where users discussed using magnets, explosives, or even \u2014 in an idea that reflected a sci-fi movie trope \u2014 an electromagnetic pulse weapon to take out data centers.<\/p>\n The fusion center analysts appeared to take seriously other rhetoric proposing dramatic attacks. \u201cIn addition to general anti-AI data center rhetoric, online users have recently discussed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for carrying out attacks varying from simple swatting and hoax threats to property damage, arson, and even the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) material,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat appears to be an effort by law enforcement to hype up the threat where there may be no threat at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n Hetznecker, the civil rights lawyer, said the idea of a nuclear threat raised concerns for him about the quality of the fusion center\u2019s sources and its conclusions.<\/p>\n \u201cThat appears to be an effort by law enforcement to hype up the threat where there may be no threat at all,\u201d he said. \u201cTo increase scrutiny on First Amendment activities by lumping in those activities with the most extreme, possible scenarios one could imagine that have no factual basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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