'SNL' takes aim at Kevin O’Leary and his Utah data center: 'I'm going to make the future go away’

James Austin Johnson portrayed Kevin O'Leary on "Saturday Night Live." Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images "Saturday Night Live" took on Kevin O'Leary and his data center.

"These things shouldn't be anywhere.

That's why I'm building one in Utah," Johnson's O'Leary said.

The real O'Leary is backing a giant data center project spanning over 20,000 acres.

AI data centers got the "Weekend Update" treatment on "Saturday Night Live" this week.

Comedian James Austin Johnson portrayed "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary on the sketch comedy show, during which he addressed the dispute over the real O'Leary's proposed data center in Utah, known as the Stratos Project .

"It's very simple.

All I want is to buy up 40,000 acres of God's untouched splendor and replace it with a very loud computer that steals your job," Johnson's O'Leary said.

"Is it going to take up precious water? Absolutely.

Is it going to provide a necessary service? Who's to say? But on the flip side, it's going to make me a tremendous amount of money, and I think that's great." The "SNL" version of O'Leary said he understood that some Americans were concerned about data centers near their homes. (An actual May Gallup poll found that over half of American surveyors opposed constructing AI data centers in their local area.) "These things are terrible and shouldn't be anywhere.

That's why I'm building one in Utah," he said.

Data centers are a contentious issue in the United States.

Leading tech companies rely on AI data centers to power their systems and products.

Supporters say they'll create new jobs , bolster the economy, and help the US defeat China in the race to control the global AI market.