The theory taking the rich by storm: China funds data center haters | WVIK, Quad Cities NPR
wvik.org
When wealthy investors start blaming Chinese communist money for opposition to their data centers, conspiracy theory meets motivated reasoning — and the stakes couldn't be higher for the AI boom.
Conspiracy TheoryMotivated ReasoningOutgroup Attribution BiasElite Theory
Theory Briefing
- Fund manager Gavin Baker claimed it 'feels like' a CCP-funded campaign is driving data center opposition, with no hard evidence cited.
- The theory is spreading among rich investors who stand to profit from AI infrastructure, raising classic motivated reasoning red flags.
- China-as-saboteur narratives tap into outgroup attribution bias, making it easy to dismiss legitimate local opposition as foreign interference.