Leopards, tigers and AI data, oh my! Nashville Zoo tries to halt proposed data center

Tech NewsLeopards, tigers and AI data, oh my! Nashville Zoo tries to halt proposed data centerIt’s the latest example of data centers getting pushback in communities nationwide, as neighbors say they don’t want to live near them.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Sumatran tiger cubs explore the tiger exhibit at the Nashville Zoo in Nashville, Tenn.Stephanie Amador / USA Today via Imagn fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 5, 2026, 11:13 PM EDTBy David IngramA nationwide backlash against artificial intelligence data centers has a new ally: the leopards of the Nashville Zoo.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The zoo, a popular destination in Tennessee’s capital city, is trying to block a proposed 69,000-square-foot data center from being built next door. The zoo says that the facility would be about 50 yards from some of its animals and that the noise could disturb its residents, including a leap of leopards that hail originally from Southeast Asia.“We are vehemently opposed to having a data center so close to animals,” said Rick Schwartz, the Nashville Zoo’s president and CEO, in a phone interview Friday.The zoo this week launched an online petition against the data center that, as of Friday, had more than 180,000 signatures and 25,000 shares on Facebook. The petition asks city leaders to intervene to protect “one of the most fragile and rare collections of animals in the country.”Schwartz said he’s especially worried about noises from the data center affecting the breeding of clouded leopards, a vulnerable species that the zoo is working to conserve.Courtney Johnston, a member of the metropolitan council whose district includes the zoo, said she was being inundated by concerned residents. She said she had filed a zoning appeal and would ask the council to vote Tuesday on a data-center moratorium.“I’m getting phone calls. I’m getting emails. All of my social media. Text messages. The com...