In the US, 61% of likely voters opposed AI data centers — The Verge
In the US, 61% of the 1,503 likely voters surveyed said they opposed the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence technologies. The New York Times and Siena University conducted the survey in early September. The Verge reports on its results.
Voters’ attitudes
Only 14% of all respondents said they strongly supported the construction of such facilities. Among people who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, opinions were nearly evenly divided: 49% supported the construction of data centers, while 45% opposed it.
Among those who voted for Kamala Harris, 74% opposed the construction of data centers. Among respondents who did not vote, 67% held this position.
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Reasons for opposition
Among respondents opposed to data centers, 56% supported restrictions on their construction, while 38% preferred a complete ban. The most frequently cited reasons for opposition were environmental impact and water use, at 32%. Another 21% mentioned the impact on local communities, while 18% cited general distrust of AI or rejection of the technology.
Concerns about regulation were cited by 10% of data center opponents, while economic reasons were cited by 9%. At the same time, AI and data centers ranked low among the issues voters consider decisive for voting in the midterm elections.
As The Verge notes, an NBC News poll in March also recorded low levels of support for AI, while a May Gallup study found that seven out of ten Americans opposed the construction of AI data centers in their communities.
