OVERTIME: Charlie Berens on AI, Data Centers & Building Wisconsin’s Future

Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey welcome comedian and Wisconsin advocate Charlie Berens to discuss his new organization, Build Wisconsin Better, and the growing debate over artificial intelligence and data center construction. Berens explains why he believes Wisconsin should pause new data center projects until communities have a clear plan, how AI could concentrate power in fewer hands, and why the technology’s potential benefits must be weighed against its environmental, economic, and social risks. The conversation also covers political accountability, renewable energy, the race to compete with China, and how Wisconsinites can have a greater voice in shaping the state’s future. Overtime is exclusive to the Extra Points newsletter.