WATCH: Protest against AI data centres in Vancouver draws hundreds

VANCOUVER — Hundreds took to the streets over the weekend to push back against plans to build AI data centres in British Columbia's largest metropolitan area.

While all attendees voiced their opposition to the facilities, many expressed aversion to artificial intelligence itself, arguing that the costs of the technology outweigh the benefits.

From the Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, protestors marched across the Cambie Street Bridge towards City Hall.

Among their chants were "Hey hey, ho ho — data centres have got to go!" and "Stop the slop!" The latter refers to the AI-generated content being spread across social media and beyond, which has been referred to by detractor as "slop."

Attendees carried a variety of hand-made signs — no doubt made without AI.

Among those in attendance was city council candidate Solomon Yi-Kieran. They took aim at the federal government for putting $2 billion towards AI data centres across the country, arguing that the money could be better spent elsewhere.

An activist was cheered on when he outlined what he perceived to be the difference between human and artificial intelligence.

"We can ask not only how, we can ask why," he said. "Human intelligence is, by definition, dissent. Human intelligence is, by definition, disobedient. AI has no capacity except to recognize patterns. That is not thinking. That is not creativity. That is not intelligence."

He posited that asking why is "the basis of humanity," and declared that humanity "will not be conquered by this unthinking, order-taking machine."

WATCH: New AI data centres to be built in BC as feds push for ‘digital sovereignty’

“We can’t run a sovereign AI strategy on someone else’s servers, governed by someone else’s rules, and in someone else’s jurisdiction.”

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In May, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon announced the new data centres. They will be located at 150 West Georgia Street downtown, and 111 East 6th Avenue in Mt. Pleasant.

In addition, an existing Telus facility in Kamloops will be expanded and come online in late 2026.

Together, they will have over 60,000 GPUs with a combined 150 megawatts of computing power — all powered by NVIDIA hardware. The infrastructure — developed and built in partnership with Telus and Westbank — was touted as an integral step on Canada's journey towards "digital sovereignty."

WATCH: BC expanding use of AI — but at what risk?

Glumac added that his team had recently spoken with federal AI Minister Evan Solomon, and there will be “some announcements” on the issue in the coming weeks.

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