New Poll: Most Americans Don't Want AI Data Centers Next Door

A new poll from The New York Times and Siena University found that AI data centers are remarkably unpopular. Of 1,503 likely voters surveyed in early September, 61 percent said they oppose building these facilities, and only 14 percent strongly support them. A data center is a warehouse-sized building packed with computers that run AI tools like chatbots and image generators — and it uses enormous amounts of electricity and water to stay cool.

The reasons people gave were practical, not political. The biggest complaint, at 32 percent, was environmental harm and water usage. Another 21 percent worried about the impact on their local community, like noise, traffic, and rising power bills. About 18 percent simply distrust or dislike AI itself. In short, people aren't objecting to AI in the abstract — they're objecting to what gets built in their backyard.

What's striking is how bipartisan the feeling is. Trump voters were almost evenly split — 49 percent in favor, 45 percent against. Harris voters opposed it 74 percent, and people who didn't vote opposed it 67 percent. Among those against the projects, 56 percent want limits rather than an outright ban, while 38 percent want to stop them completely. Neither party has a clear advantage on the issue, with voters trusting Democrats and Republicans almost equally (40 percent to 42 percent).

The catch: AI isn't yet a voting issue. For most groups, it registered below 1 percent as a top concern for the midterms — only 3 percent among 18-to-29-year-olds. But a May Gallup poll found seven in ten Americans opposed local data center construction, and that local anger can still delay projects, drive up costs, and become a fall campaign talking point.