[alxmdev]

Isn't agriculture objectively more important and more beneficial to humanity than Big data centers?

[gruez]

You might have a point if it was wheat for human consumption vs datcenter, but those aren't the water hogging plants, which are stuff like almonds, alfalfa (for export)[1]. Comparing those instead, it's unclear whether those are "more important and more beneficial to humanity" than AI, which also genuinely provides utility to people (as evidenced by its popularity).

[1] https://www.npr.org/2023/08/09/1192996975/amid-a-water-crisi...

[cm2012]

yes and no. Most agriculture is not necessary for pure survival, especially water-needing crops in the desert. It's more luxury food products.

In addition, increasing human productivity through technological innovation is the only thing that ever let us escape the malthusian trap.

[mossTechnician]

> increasing human productivity through technological innovation is the only thing that ever let us escape the malthusian trap.

How so?

https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/

[cm2012]

Many such charts as this: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/World-economic-history-a...

[lclarkmichalek]

In absolute terms, yep. In marginal terms, not so much. See also: paradox of value

[JuniperMesos]

Honestly, it's hard to tell. Humanity benefits a lot from the massively complex set of technologies that require the existence of big data centers. Including agricultural production itself.