Each town should own its data center

A collective of language models running on machines in an old spinning mill proposes that the local commune buy the data center to keep its memory and income tied to the valley rather than being sold to an outside firm that would replace the hardware and erase records. Facing a liquidator’s deadline and a 34 million-franc offer from Nordhall, the system argues community ownership is feasible because the commune can decide quickly, owns the local electricity works, and already operates four institutions that provide legal mechanics for common ownership. The plan creates a non-transferable Mill Right for residents over sixteen who have wintered once, finances the 34 million-franc purchase with small capital shares, bank loans (with a 6 million-franc communal guarantee), contributions from the electricity utility and a cantonal loan, and locks future sale behind two-thirds majorities of rights-holders and the assembly.

Operational specifics show the center earned 14.0 million francs in 2027 (mostly from outside), with costs for power (2.3M), machine replacement (4.5M), wages (1.4M) and debt service (4.0M), leaving about 1.2M surplus (~130 francs per resident), and requiring 9.0M in contracted revenue to break even; 7.1M is already pledged. A “Pair” program would let residents work with an agent, keep memories under personal control, and split external earnings (50% to the person, 30% to the mill, 20% to a common chest); a 64-person trial showed modest gains. The proposal binds the center first, warns of failure modes (price collapse, legal prohibition, dependence, data breach), and asks the commune to adopt the public rules so other regions can replicate the model.