61 percent of likely voters said they oppose the construction of AI data centers, but neither major party has much of an edge.
61 percent of likely voters said they oppose the construction of AI data centers, but neither major party has much of an edge.
Poll data released TuesdaybyThe New York Timesand Siena Universityconfirms what we’vealready been seeing, andwhat politicians are responding to— AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular. Asked if they support or oppose the construction of data centers to power AI tech, 61 percent of the 1,503 likely voters surveyed in early September (ahead of the recentAI safety slowdown discussion) said they were opposed, with only 14 percent saying they st…
Fifty-six percent of voters surveyed who said they were opposed to data centers said they supported limits, while 38 percent instead preferred a total ban. The list of reasons for opposition is also revealing, with the environment/water usage most common at 32 percent, impact on local communities at 21 percent, general distrust or dislike of AI at 18 percent, followed by regulation concerns and the economy at 10 and 9 percent.
AnNBC News poll in Marchshowed AI polling lower than ICE, and aGallup poll in Mayrevealed seven in ten Americans opposed local construction of AI data centers.
Still, the data released today ranked AI and data centers low on the list of issues that voters saw as most important in deciding their midterm vote. Across the board, AI and data centers registered at less than 1 percent for most demographics, with exceptions for younger voters like the 18–29 group, where 3 percent picked that one instead of the most popular responses like the economy, foreign policy, inflation, and opposition to Trump/Republica…