Artificial intelligence (AI) will advance civilization; AI will kill all of humanity. That dichotomy of perspectives on the latest technology is giving rise to two different responses: one spending huge amounts of money to push ahead AI development, the other triggering pushback in the public square that challenges the spread of data centers, the core of AI’s infrastructure. The central messages of these two divergent views come from Accelerationists, who claim AI will save civilization and advance humanity’s cause, and from Rationalists, who insist that letting AI develop at its current pace and without regulatory oversight is a suicide mission. At present in the U.S., Accelerationists have won over the federal government, while Rationalists have won over public opinion. A few without skin in the game offer compromises: collaboration among competitors and regulatory oversight to control those who have bad intentions.