i mean the building data centers is kind of a bummer, yeah. but if Europe misses out on AI and space travel, well, so be it. i could name 20 more important issues than these buzzhypes.
AI unlocks a new class of automation that will lead to productivity increases. In some cases, it literally saves lives, as Waymo-class autonomous vehicles are much safer than human drivers.
Cheap space launch unlocks LEO constellations like Starlink, which Europe is already trying to build. Even without fanciful uses like space datacenters and asteroid mining, access to space gives us a host of communications, imaging, and location services.