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% opposed AI data center construction, with only 14% saying they strongly support it
- 2024 Trump voters split nearly evenly (49% support vs 45% oppose), while Harris voters opposed 74% and 2024 non-voters opposed 67%
- Environment and water usage topped opposition reasons at 32%, followed by local community impact at 21%, general AI distrust at 18%, regulation at 10%, and the economy at 9%
- Among the opposed, 56% backed regulatory limits while 38% supported a total ban on AI data center construction
- Earlier polls aligned with the finding: an NBC News March survey had AI polling lower than ICE, and a Gallup May poll showed seven in ten Americans opposing local construction
- Midterm salience stayed minimal — AI/data centers registered under 1% as a top issue across most demographics, reaching only 3% among voters aged 18–29
Why it matters: The opposition crosses partisan lines — even Trump voters are nearly split and Harris voters oppose by 23 points — leaving Republicans with only a 42%-to-40% trust edge over Democrats on handling the issue. With 38% of opposers backing a total ban and water usage as the leading complaint, state and local officials reviewing data center siting are confronting rare bipartisan resistance, even though fewer than 1% of midterm voters name AI as their top issue.
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