Public opposition to new AI data centers is growing rapidly across the United States, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Policy Center survey reported by WHYY. In a poll of 1,320 U.S. adults conducted from June 16 to July 19, 61% opposed building new data centers, up from 49% in a comparable February–March survey. That represents a 12-point increase in only four months.
The opposition is notable because it cuts across traditional political and demographic divisions. Researchers found resistance among Democrats, Republicans and independents, as well as among people who use AI frequently and those who rarely or never use it. The survey also found that 68% of respondents believed too little is being done to regulate AI, while 39% expected AI's expansion to have a negative impact, compared with only 18% expecting a positive impact.
Much of the concern is about the physical costs of AI infrastructure, rather than AI software itself. Residents and activists cited data centers' water consumption, pressure on electricity supplies and rising utility bills. Others raised concerns about surveillance and the expansion of technologies such as networked cameras. Importantly, the researchers found that opposition was not simply a case of “not in my backyard”: people living far from proposed facilities were also opposed at similar rates.
The larger story is that the AI infrastructure boom is encountering a public-acceptance problem. Data-center developers often argue that these facilities are necessary because society increasingly uses AI, but the survey suggests that argument may not resonate with a public that is already skeptical of AI's broader effects. As data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, water and land, the industry may increasingly have to demonstrate tangible local benefits and address infrastructure costs—not simply argue that more computing capacity is necessary for AI's growth.
