Country music legend Willie Nelson, approaching his 93rd birthday, has spoken out against plans to build an artificial intelligence data centre in his hometown of Abbott, Texas. Rather than focusing on AI's ability to mimic musicians' voices and styles, Nelson centred his objection on the environmental and social toll such facilities take on small rural communities, framing the issue as a fight to preserve land, water and a way of life against industrial encroachment.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Nelson described the proposed development as a "loud, water thieving, light polluting" facility that has no place near Abbott or any similar town, arguing that rural America's strength comes from its people and open spaces rather than large industrial footprints. He further warned that control over food and water resources equates to control over the population, urging his community and others across the US not to surrender these essential resources to data centre development.