AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular in every poll — SkimNews
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- NYT/Siena poll of 1,503 likely voters in early September found 61% oppose AI data center construction, with only 14% strongly supporting it.
- Opposition cuts across party lines: 2024 Trump voters split 49% support to 45% oppose, Harris voters opposed 74%, and non-voters 67% opposed.
- Most opponents want regulation, not bans: 56% of those opposed favored limits on construction, while 38% preferred a total prohibition.
- Environmental concerns lead at 32% of opposition reasons, followed by impact on local communities (21%), general AI distrust (18%), regulation concerns (10%), and the economy (9%).
- Earlier polls echo the unpopularity: an NBC News March poll found AI polling lower than ICE, and a Gallup May poll showed seven in ten Americans opposed local AI data center construction.
- The issue ranks low as a midterm priority: AI and data centers registered under 1% as voters' top concern across most demographics, reaching only 3% among 18-29-year-olds.
- Neither party holds a trust edge on the issue, with Republicans at 42%, Democrats at 40%, and 18% undecided or refusing to answer among 554 respondents.
Why it matters: Even 45% of Trump's own 2024 voters now oppose AI data centers, making this a rare bipartisan flashpoint — yet both parties remain near-tied on who voters trust to handle it. With 38% of opponents favoring outright construction bans, local permitting fights and state-level moratoriums become the most direct pressure point, even though the issue barely registers (under 1%) as a midterm motivator.
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