Brie Bella harshly criticized AI and data centers in a new video, even though her current employers at WWE embrace the technology.
“We can live without AI, trust me, we can live without it. But we can’t live without fresh water,” the WWE Hall of Famer said in the video posted on YouTube.
In April, WWE’s parent company TKO held a town hall during which Mark Shapiro, the company’s president and COO, called TKO’s use of AI in both UFC and WWE was a “major priority.”
“[WWE President] Nick Khan and [WWE Chief
Content Officer] Triple H are using AI for storylines with the WWE,” Shapiro said at the time. “What’s resonating? What superstars are resonating? In what pockets of the country are they resonating? That helps us with, obviously, our content, our editorial, our creative, our mapping, our touring, and of course, maximizing revenue and getting our product out to the fans most in need of it.”
Around the same time as the town hall, WWE faced backlash from wrestling fans on social media when it posted a video package hyping a match between Sol Ruca and Zaria that used AI-generated visuals.
Brie, who currently holds the WWE Women’s World Tag Team Championship with Paige, posted her anti-AI message on the YouTube Channel she shares with twin sister Nikki on Thursday. The video was filmed at Radnor Lake State Natural Area in Tennessee, which Brie visited while she was in the area for an appearance on Raw in Nashville.
As she hiked in the park, Bella warned about the dangers AI poses to fresh water, energy grids, and public land.
“AI data centers harm the environment by consuming large amounts of electricity and fresh water. The centers’ demand increase greenhouse gas emissions, deplete local water supplies, and strain community power grids,” Bella said. “I wanted to put some numbers to this issue to really put it in perspective and paint the bigger picture. Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day of fresh water, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people.”
She spoke about how AI companies cool data centers, as well as the tremendous amounts of electricity the centers use.
“Data center developers are increasingly tapping into surface and underground aquifers to cool their facilities,” she said. “Additionally, a single modern AI data center can use as much power as 100,000 homes. Many of the larger ones now being built are expected to consume up to 20 times that amount. That’s almost unfathomable.”
The wrestling star concluded the video by trying to make the case for viewers to be concerned about AI by pointing out the financial toll the technology has on citizens.
“If the damage to our communities, our environment, and the plants and animals that live among us doesn’t get you to care, the rise in power bills across the U.S., with Americans paying almost 10% more for electricity on average this past year alone, should make you care,” Brie said. “That is only going to get worse for us as more data centers take over public lands and wildlife sanctuaries across the nation.
“We can live without AI, trust me, we can live without it. But we can’t live without fresh water.”
What do you think about Brie’s message, Cagesiders? Is AI causing more harm than good? Share any thoughts you may have in the comments.
