Americans Really Don’t Want New AI Data Centers, Poll Suggests
Americans are the least in favor of building new artificial intelligence data centers compared to other major countries, according to a new Public First poll. The survey found that U.S. voters were the least likely…
Americans are the least in favor of building new artificial intelligence data centers compared to other major countries, according to a new Public First poll.
The survey found that U.S. voters were the least likely among 15 large countries — including Japan, Canada, Brazil and the U.K. — to support building new AI data centers, Financial Times (FT) reported on Thursday. Twenty-six percent of Americans surveyed backed increased construction of AI data centers, while about 30% of British, German and French voters supported such initiatives.
Support for data centers was the highest in Nigeria and India, where 74% and 65% respectively said they supported more construction, the poll shows.
“Our research shows America, the home of Silicon Valley and the majority of the biggest tech companies, has the population least in of the very infrastructure needed to support that sector,” Public First Head of Opinion Research Seb Wride said in a statement.
About 37% of those who voted for Trump believed more projects should be built, while less than a quarter of those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 said the same, per the poll.
The new polling comes as many Americans have cited concerns about AI data center’s energy needs, environmental issues and water usage. Mid-sized data centers can consume as much water as a small town,