多家科技公司敦促英国政府在12个月内解决公众对数据中心建设日益增长的反对情绪，警告称类似美国的抗议活动可能威胁相关项目。
Major technology companies have urged the UK government to address growing public opposition to data center construction within 12 months, warning that protests similar to those in the US could threaten projects.
据《卫报》周四报道，包括英伟达、微软和思科在内的主权人工智能领导力特别工作组向工党政府提交的一份文件警告称，对电费、用水量和环境影响的担忧正在助长反对情绪。
A submission to the Labour government by the Sovereign AI Leadership task force, which includes Nvidia, Microsoft and Cisco, warned that concerns over energy bills, water use and environmental impacts were fueling opposition, the Guardian reported Thursday.
该特别工作组表示：“英国有一个窗口期——我们认为大约是12个月——在该模式形成之前，建立一个能够赢得公众同意的契约。”
“Britain has a window – we think of roughly 12 months – to build a compact that earns public consent before that pattern takes hold,” the taskforce said.
该组织呼吁制定一个框架，明确当地社区如何从承接数据中心中获益，包括财政贡献，并允许地方议会保留更多商业物业税收入。
The group called for a framework setting out how local communities could benefit from hosting data centers, including financial contributions and allowing councils to keep more commercial property tax revenue.
该文件援引了美国的案例，称有组织的反对活动已叫停一些已经获得规划批准的项目，以及一些州对数据中心建设实施的暂停令。
It cited US cases where organized opposition had halted projects that already had planning approval, as well as moratoriums on data center construction in some states.
该文件称：“来自那些地方的报道显示，人工智能本身只是表面关切；对企业和政府承诺的不信任、对搁置资产的恐惧以及电费问题更为深层。同样的论点也开始在这里出现。”
“Reporting from those places shows that AI itself is only a surface-level concern; distrust of corporate and government promises, fear of stranded assets and electricity costs run deeper. The same arguments have begun to appear here,” the submission said.
微软已承诺投资300亿美元用于英国人工智能基础设施。该公司在伦敦阿克顿建有一个数据中心，并正在威尔士纽波特建设另一个。
Microsoft has pledged to invest $30 billion in UK AI infrastructure. It has built a data center in Acton, London, and is constructing another in Newport, Wales.
然而，运动团体批评了向支持数据中心开发的地方当局提供财政激励的提议。
Campaign groups, however, criticized proposals to offer financial incentives to local authorities that support data center developments.
PauseAI英国主任约瑟夫·米勒告诉《卫报》：“人们会觉得，被与自己利益不符的巨型科技公司收买，是不体面的。”
“People are going to feel it is undignified to be bought off by huge tech companies who do not share their interests,” Joseph Miller, director of PauseAI UK, told Guardian.
苏格兰保护乡村行动组织主任卡特·琼斯补充说，苏格兰有15个社区运动正在反对数据中心开发，此外还有一个日益壮大的全国性运动。
Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, added that 15 community campaigns were opposing data center developments in Scotland, alongside a growing national campaign.
据报道，Foxglove组织的倡导部门负责人唐纳德·坎贝尔（Donald Campbell）警告称，如果允许地方政府从数据中心获得的税收收入更多，那么用于中央资助的服务（包括国家医疗服务体系）的资金就会相应减少。
Donald Campbell, director of advocacy at Foxglove, warned that allowing councils to keep more tax revenue from data centers could leave less money for centrally funded services, including the National Health Service, the newspaper reported.
报道中引用的政府发言人表示，数据中心应当创造英国的就业机会、支持国内供应链，并对所在社区进行投资，同时应优先考虑使用清洁能源和合理利用水资源。
A government spokesperson, quoted in the report, said data centers should create British jobs, support domestic supply chains and invest in host communities while prioritizing clean power and responsible water use.
“对于大多数拟建的数据中心项目，其带来的社区效益都会通过相关的本地规划流程进行评估，”这位发言人说。“我们已经宣布了一些措施，允许那些在英格兰人工智能发展区内设立数据中心的地方政府保留由此产生的所有额外商业税收。”
“For most proposed datacentre developments, community benefits are considered through the relevant local planning processes,” the spokesperson said. “We have already announced measures which will enable local authorities hosting datacentres in AI growth zones in England to keep all the additional business rates they generate.”