AI protestors invite Vancouver city council candidates to march, organizers say it’s an election issue

AI data centres in Vancouver — that’s what hundreds of people protested against Saturday, marching from Mount Pleasant to downtown Vancouver.

Municipal candidates were invited by organizers to attend Saturday’s protest, part of what organizers described as an international day of protest against AI, as organizers say the movement has now become a campaign issue.

Vancouver city council voted in July to send the rezoning application for a proposed Mount Pleasant AI data centre back to staff for further public consultation, which won’t begin until after the Oct. 17 municipal election.

Torin Larocque, founder of No AI Vancouver, believes part of the reason the application was sent back was because hundreds of people had signed up to speak at the planned public hearing.

He told CBC News organizers want voters to know candidates’ positions on building data centres in Vancouver before casting their ballots.

Larocque specifically wants people to know “which candidates are against AI.”

In 2024, the International Energy Agency reported that data centres, largely driven by AI, used roughly 1.5 per cent of global energy consumption, projecting that demand to more than double by 2030.

The agency says the pace at which data centre electricity consumption grows is about four times faster than total electricity consumption from all other sectors.

Candidates’ concerns

The four council candidates from COPE, Vancouver Greens and Bright Future all expressed support for a pause or moratorium on large AI data centres.

Their concerns were mainly centred on how much energy is used, water supply and whether there has been enough public consultation.

COPE candidate Leslie said the issue is part of a broader economic system that prioritizes the “ultra-wealthy over the needs of the rest of us.”

“Vancouverites do not want these AI data centres. There has been almost no consultation,” said Yi-Kieran, who is running with COPE.

Yi-Kieran said they had heard about AI at the doors as much as housing and affordability. Both Yi-Kieran and Leslie support a moratorium on AI data centres, adding that the city has control over these sorts of zoning decisions. 

Burns, running for council with the Vancouver Greens, said she doesn’t hear concerns around AI data centres very often when she is door-knocking, but also hopes to see a moratorium until there’s more regulation.

But Lin, with Bright Future Vancouver, said the issue signals a broader need for change within local government.

“Everyone’s fed up and they’re tired. And now they’re saying ‘we’re going to make your life worse with an AI data centre,'” he said.

‘Bulldoze through’

One protester, Sahil Akhil, said he will be paying close attention to how municipal candidates say they will handle the AI boom.

“We need more hospitals, we need more daycares, we need more schools and libraries. But the fact that all of that is set aside to build data centres, that doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Akhil said he put his name down to speak at the planned July public hearing because he believed the city was trying to “bulldoze through” the Mount Pleasant proposal.

With further public consultation expected after the election, Akhil said it is important to him to vote for candidates who will give people a chance to make themselves heard.