Erin Brockovich, longtime consumer advocate and subject of the 2000 Oscar-winning biographical film starring Julia Roberts, told MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle about her new effort to help Americans report their concerns about the effects of artificial intelligence data centers on their communities. 

This week, Brockovich launched a map to capture what she called the “real-world footprint” of AI infrastructure in neighborhoods across the country. The map overlays major AI data centers, both operational and under construction, with locations where community members have reported concerns. 

Brockovich told Ruhle on Thursday what led her to develop the tool. “I got, overnight, 30 emails from the same community with a concern,” she recalled. “I’m one of those people that likes to see the bigger picture. So I decided to create a map where people could self-report.”

The environmental activist said she was “shocked” to see that within days, people from across America who also had AI data centers in their neighborhoods were “all reporting the exact same issues.”

The Trump administration has championed the construction of AI data centers. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to streamline the process. 

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Allison Detzel

Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”