OpenAI and Meta face growing public opposition to data centres #
Just 27% of voters say they would support a data centre being built in their community, according to a June poll by Echelon Insights, placing the projects below every other type of development tested, including a nuclear power plant. The figures have concerned industry figures and political operatives tracking the issue, who fear the backlash could slow the industry's expansion before the technology matures.
OpenAI and Meta are pouring money and lobbying effort into the towns hosting their data centres, as public support for the very infrastructure powering the AI boom collapses. The scramble comes as new polling shows Americans are turning against the technology faster than at any point in the past five years.
AI Excitement Plummets as Job Fears Rise #
Pew Research Center polling published on 18 August found 52% of Americans are now 'more concerned than excited' about the growing use of AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021. The survey of US adults has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Even adults under 30, traditionally the most receptive group to new technology, have soured on the trend. Some 55% of that age group said they are now more concerned than excited, driven largely by fears the technology will eliminate jobs, with excitement about AI fading across every age group over the past five years.
Billions and Bonuses How Big Tech Is Fighting Back #
OpenAI is leaning on direct engagement with state and local officials to try to shift the mood. Chris Lehane, the company's chief global affairs officer, said the firm was following the late Tip O'Neill's belief that 'all politics is local', arguing companies must directly answer residents' concerns over issues such as electricity and water use before they can expect support.
Meta has taken a more financial approach. The company announced its Future Is for Everyone Fund on 10 August, an initial $1bn commitment aimed at benefiting teachers, law enforcement and fire departments in towns where it operates or plans data centres.
Meta has pointed to Richland Parish, Louisiana, where increased tax revenue from one of its data centres helped fund one-off $50,000 bonuses for local teachers. The company is using that example as evidence its investment can translate into tangible community benefits.
AI Backlash Reshapes Governor's Races #
The backlash is already reshaping this autumn's governor's races. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who once championed Amazon's $20bn AI infrastructure investment in the state as the 'largest private sector investment' in its history, signed an executive order this week imposing stricter requirements on data centre developers, including greater input for local municipalities.
In Wisconsin, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany, an ally of Donald Trump, has been running campaign adverts attacking his Democratic rival over comments suggesting the state could become a global AI data hub. The clash highlights tensions within the traditionally pro-AI Republican coalition.
The stakes extend well beyond individual town halls. Goldman Sachs estimates US AI investment will reach roughly $600bn this year, equivalent to about 2% of GDP. Six of the largest technology companies have also locked in almost $1.5tn combined in future infrastructure spending commitments.
If public opposition slows the pipeline of new data centres, it could constrain the computing capacity AI firms need to keep developing their models, with knock-on effects for an economy increasingly tied to the sector's continued growth. © Copyright IBTimes 2026. All rights reserved.