Tech Brew Ride Home Microsoft Pledges To Pay Its Own Way
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Jan 13, 2026 Microsoft addresses backlash over its data center expansion by promising to cover local power costs and rejecting tax breaks. Meanwhile, Meta makes significant layoffs in its Reality Labs as it shifts focus from the Metaverse to AI-powered wearable tech. Apple introduces a new Creator Studio subscription offering enhanced tools for creators, including AI upgrades for popular software. Additionally, the Apple-Google partnership leverages AI to train models while maintaining user privacy, and Anthropic unveils Co-Work for Claude, allowing users to automate tasks without needing to write code.
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Microsoft Pays Its Own Way
- Microsoft pledged to pay full local power costs and reject property tax breaks to ease data center backlash.
- The company also committed to replenishing more water than it uses and boosting local workforce and AI education programs.
Community Trust Became The Core Issue
- Public sentiment shifted from jobs to concerns about electricity prices and water use as data center builds scaled.
- Brad Smith framed transparency and community trust as essential for long-term success in data center expansion.
Offer Local Benefits Proactively
- Do offer clear community benefits like taxes paid, water efficiency, and local training to gain acceptance for infrastructure projects.
- Microsoft intends to use transparency and advisory boards to avoid secrecy that breeds opposition.