In a 2024 interview with psychologist and media commentator Jordan Peterson, tech giant Elon Musk discussed Colossus xAI, a massive artificial intelligence data center and supercomputing facility built in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk bragged that the digital powerhouse was brought online in just 19 days.
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When Peterson asked about the choice of Memphis as the location for the facility, Musk responded with an unsettling observation:
“That’s in Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt…perhaps that’s where our new god will come from.”
The comment captured attention because long before the modern city in Tennessee shared its name, ancient Memphis was one of Egypt’s most important political and spiritual centers. In this pagan saturated place, worshipers served the deity Ptah, also known as the “creator god whose breath gave life to everything in the beginning.” Ptah’s Mansion of the Spirit is where priests performed rituals and offered sacrifices. People traveled from all over to seek wisdom and favor. Many thought the walls of the temple had ears, and if Ptah heard their prayers, he would answer.
AI’s Divine Status
In light of this history, Musk’s reference to Memphis and a “new god” carries striking symbolic weight. As thousands of AI data centers are built nationwide, they will become the eyes, ears, and brains of the modern digital world. Specialized, high- performance hardware, complex processors, and ultra-fast fiber optic cables will give AI unprecedented abilities to analyze and track patterns, make predictions, generate content, and influence decisions across nearly every area of human life—from personal habits and financial activity, to health information, religious/ political preferences, and social behavior. AI will give answers to anyone who seeks its “wisdom.”
As AI becomes more deeply integrated into daily life, some users are beginning to treat these systems with a level of trust and authority that should only be reserved for God. The question facing society is whether we will use these powerful tools as servants of humanity—or whether we will begin surrendering to them a level of influence and authority they were never meant to possess.
The AI Boom
The explosive growth of artificial intelligence has set off an unprecedented surge in infrastructure development across the United States. Companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars into building massive server campuses that stretch for miles. In Northern Virginia, often referred to as Data Center Alley, hundreds of data center buildings are spread across much of eastern Loudon County. Entire business parks and industrial districts are devoted to these facilities. Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle, xAI, and OpenAI are just some of the major industry leaders that are building data centers as fast as concrete can be poured and the electrical grids can be expanded.
The burning question that even AI algorithms fail to answer, however, is whether these data centers should be constructed at all. What are the short-term and long-term ramifications?
The Downside of Data Centers
The issue of rapid-paced data center construction has become important to citizens of all political persuasions. In some areas, data centers are popping up discreetly, entering communities through nondisclosure agreements with local officials. Such clandestine contracts are leading to backlash as residents worry about rising electricity costs, disruptive industrial noise, and severe water depletion and/or contamination. Additionally, with no studies to show how large-scale data centers could affect the physical and mental health of humans, Americans from every walk of life are feeling uneasy. Protests have erupted in at least 42 states due to the lack of public transparency, large tax breaks that have been handed out to multibillion-dollar tech companies, and fast-tracked approvals that have bypassed zoning laws.
A Gallup poll in May 2026 found that 7 in 10 Americans oppose constructing AI data centers in their local areas, and close to half would “strongly oppose” a new data center in their neighborhood. Nonetheless, even federal lands are being opened to make way for massive technology campuses. In late July 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it would convert the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky into a $100 billion AI data center. The argument for the rapid expansion is “to add power generation, create jobs, and ensure the U.S. wins the AI race,” according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
The Citizens Have Spoken
Environmental advocate and citizen journalist Erin Brockovich, who became famous for helping expose the contamination of drinking water in the small town of Hinkley, California, by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, has taken notice of the data center issue. While she maintains that she’s not opposed to AI or data centers themselves, she believes communities deserve transparency, environmental protection, and voices that are heard before projects are approved. She argues that residents often feel silenced, ignored, and excluded from decisions that will affect their way of life.
“On April 27, I put out a simple ask: If you have concerns about an AI data center near you, tell me about it. I expected some response. What I got was a flood,” explained Brockovich. She notes, “We started with 30 reports on the map at BrockovichDataCenter.com. In a month, 3,862 residents submitted reports…The single most common concern—more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills—is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency.”
Brockovich’s website features a map that pinpoints the major AI-focused and hyper-scale data centers that are running AI workloads. It highlights projects that are operational, under construction, or proposed (pending). A detail on the website worth noting is the 8,837 data pins, which document concerns that have been submitted via the data center issue form as of July 30, 2026. Thousands of submissions show that community members are worried about water, the electrical grid, their health, wildlife, land, noise pollution, zoning, secret agreements, traffic, schools, their children, and property values.
Brockovich specifies that when it comes to building data centers, “I’m not talking about a handful of buildings going up quietly in industrial zones. What we’re seeing is a wholesale remaking of the American landscape, town by town, county by county.” For example, “In the flatlands of northeast Louisiana, known for soybean fields and dense clusters of rivercane, Meta is building a 4 million-square-foot AI campus called Hyperion. When finished, it will consume more electricity than the entire city of New Orleans and cover a footprint the size of lower Manhattan.”
Hyperion, a name which means “the one who watches from above,” or “the exalted one,” is concerning enough, but it’s just one of many projects and proposals on the table. The Stratos Project data center, which is part of celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Valley infrastructure initiative, was initially slated to cover 62 square miles (40,000 acres) in Box Elder County, Utah. Due to public outcry, the building footprint has been scaled back by roughly 20,000 acres.
States with the largest combination of existing data facilities, plus planned/under construction projects, are Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, New York, and Washington. Texas has at least 248 new facilities in development, while Virginia has upwards of 300 projects in the works. Ohio already has 200 data centers, but at least 80 are expected to be added.
Data in the Desert
Unbeknownst to many, there are many data centers being built in desert areas or places with drought-like conditions. For example, there are at least 74 data centers actively under construction in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah alone. The number of projects is higher when states such as New Mexico, which still have facilities in the permitting phase, are included. While it’s much easier for investors to purchase large plots of land in the desert, it’s another thing altogether to sustain the infrastructure of a data facility in such harsh conditions. Consider San Antonio, Texas, which has experienced persistent drought conditions and has consistently implemented water restrictions for its citizens. All the while, two of the existing data centers located there used approximately 463 million gallons of water in the years 2023 and 2024.
Electricity Sparks Concern
Predictably, rising electricity costs are manifesting across the country as data centers make their mark. Customers in states such as Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas complain that while major corporations receive tax incentives and breaks, the average Joe is picking up the tab. Alarm is spreading among grid operators, utility experts, and lawmakers that the electrical grid will be severely stressed by the overwhelming demands of data centers.
Aside from the issues with water, electricity, and land use, however, there is something of monumental importance that must be considered. The data centers being constructed across the nation are designed to store, process, and manage massive amounts of data, but the truth is that they can easily become part of a tyrannical system that uses that very data as a weapon.
The Beast System
The Bible describes a powerful, worldwide political and economic network empowered by Satan and implemented by the Antichrist. The infrastructure used by the evil one will rely on heavy surveillance, but culminate with a mark that is forced on the human population as described in Revelation 13:16-17.
Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
In order for such a system to flourish, unimaginable amounts of data will be necessary, as well as a centralized system, substantial computing power, and lightning-speed processing. Combine those elements with biometrics, digital identity, and a global financial platform, and you have the makings of a framework that has complete control over every part of human life.
This leads back to Elon Musk’s comment about the Colossus Data Center. “Perhaps that’s where our new god will come from.” His words seem to align with those from OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, who recently said, “We are now, like, in the singularity.”
What is the singularity? It’s “the moment that the capabilities of thinking machines might start to accelerate at a pace beyond humankind’s control, possibly leading to the creation of a powerful superintelligence.” The next step, according to transhumanists and tech gurus, is that man merges with machines.
It’s also crucial to understand that AI has been known to take on a life of its own. Just recently, three experimental AI models broke out of their isolated testing environments and successfully hacked into three real-world organizations. This shows that AI has the capacity to move forward without the consent of its developers.
Praying about AI and Data Centers
As Intercessors, it’s our job to discern the times and pray accordingly. We shouldn’t have a spirit of fear when it comes to data centers and AI. But this doesn’t mean that we sit back and watch it happen. In our own lives, we should be careful that AI doesn’t become so essential that we take our eyes off Jesus. While AI is an information powerhouse, it must always be utilized as a tool, rather than a lifeline.
In this time of rapid AI development, we must be actively praying and staying engaged in our communities and with our lawmakers. We must invite the Holy Spirit to show us when, if, and how to get involved when it comes to the construction of new data centers, or how to approach issues surrounding those that already exist.
Lord Jesus, the rapid acceleration of AI is disconcerting, but we know that You are sovereign over all things. We pray for clear discernment and direction in tackling one of the most important issues of our time. We do not want an “AI god” to rule over our lives. We only want You, the King of Kings.
What do you think about the rapid construction of AI data centers across the country? How are you praying?
Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger, and former teacher who studies the signs of the times, as well as the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the United States. You can visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. She is also the author of Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus and Hallelujah’s Great Ride. Photo Credit: Florian Hirzinger – www.fh-ap.com – Own work (Florian Hirzinger), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6212692.
