The public has swung decidedly against data centers in a matter of months, and tech companies are freaking out about it.
According to a recent survey by Heatmap Pro, 71% of Americans would oppose a data center project built near their homes, including 55% that would “strongly” oppose. It’s a stark contrast from just nine months ago, when Heatmap first conducted the survey and found that Americans were evenly split on the subject, with 43% saying they would support the project and 42% voicing opposition. Even in the survey’s second iteration just three months ago, only 51% said they would oppose a data center project.
The results show a dramatic change in public sentiment in a very short period of time. In just nine months, the public swung 49 points against data centers, the report concludes.
AI backlash is souring public on data center construction
Over the past year, artificial intelligence has completely overtaken public discourse, as the technology burrows its way deeper into everyday life.
Instances of allegedly AI-driven self-harm and mass shootings have gripped headlines, as healthcare professionals repeatedly warned against a dangerous overreliance on chatbots and instances often dubbed AI addiction or AI psychosis. The technology has also squarely entered global warfare, dramatically increasing lethality and aiding mass surveillance.
Along with this surging AI use and projected increase in demand has come an unprecedented infrastructure buildout. Companies are propping up data centers left and right, with most of these projects hitting rural communities, most of whom report being plagued by rising utility bills, water shortages, and above-average air and noise pollution. A recent study has also revealed rising temperatures in the immediate vicinity of these megastructures.
Although Heatmap said no U.S. region saw less than 69% of data center opposition, rural voters were particularly enflamed. Other communities that were particularly opposed to data center projects, according to the survey, were Democrats and young people.
Among respondents aged 18 to 34, a whopping 80% said they would oppose a new data center near where they lived. The younger generation is growing less excited about AI and more angry instead, according to another survey from April.
That might have something to do with AI’s impact on the labor market. Executives across industries have enacted hiring freezes and layoffs, citing alleged productivity gains from AI initiatives, while experts warned of a drastic wipeout of white-collar jobs in the near future. According to several studies, the biggest victims of the early-stage AI-driven layoffs so far have been young graduates, who now face diminished job prospects as executives automate entry-level work.
Industry leaders are trying to rehab AI’s image
The AI industry has been fighting hard to change the technology’s burgeoning negative reputation. Both OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have spoken against the wholesale automation of jobs and corporate hiring freezes and layoffs in the last three months, with Altman specifically changing his tune on AI’s projected labor impact.
Wednesday, Google joined that list by attempting to address one of AI’s most popular criticisms: its unquenchable thirst for water.
“Today, we are announcing several water stewardship commitments as a promise to responsibly manage vital water resources where we build and operate data centers,” Google VP of global infrastructure Bikash Koley and head of infrastructure strategy and sustainability Ben Townsend wrote in the blog post. “Our goal is to minimize our local impacts so that our growth does not come at the expense of the communities we call home.”
In the post, Google promised to “replenish more water than we consume at our sites by 2030,” modernize water infrastructure in neighboring communities, and be transparent about its annual water use.
The water demands of AI data centers aren’t just a concern for local communities and environmentalists, but they are also proving to be one of the many bottlenecks the industry is contending with. Earlier this week, SpaceX amended its IPO filing to say that its access to water could pose a challenge to its data center development.
Data centers are becoming a salient political issue
The increasing opposition to AI and the data centers that power it has resulted in growing calls for more regulatory action. AI has become a battleground in the upcoming midterm elections, with candidates in major races, such as House candidate Alex Bores, making AI-related regulation a central point of their platforms as the industry pours money into electing candidates aligned with its interests.
One such demand for regulation picking up steam over the past few months is local moratoriums on new data center projects. Maine was poised to be the first state to adopt a moratorium, but Governor Janet Mills vetoed it.
