More than half of US residents—53%—do not want an AI data center built in their neighborhood, according to a new survey from real estate site Redfin.
Communities across the country have been protesting data center construction, with some suing the companies behind them over noise, pollution, water consumption, and rising electricity costs.
Of the 4,000 people surveyed about data centers, 53% strongly or somewhat oppose their construction in their vicinity. Redfin’s survey also found that “US residents are more likely to oppose data centers in their neighborhood than any other type of building; for instance, 39% oppose a new apartment complex nearby.”
The same survey found that 58% of US residents “believe that advances in AI will eliminate jobs and make it harder to afford homes,” which may help explain the anti-AI sentiment. In a video, Redfin also mentioned that anecdotally, some home buyers have been asking for assurances that no AI data center would be built nearby.
The survey also found that 65% of baby boomers and 60% of Gen X residents opposed the construction of local AI data centers. “For millennials and Gen Z, that number drops to about 43%,” Redfin says in the video.
Still, a sizable percentage of US residents support AI data center construction in their backyards: 34% either strongly or somewhat support it. Only 13% had no opinion.
Redfin’s report lists some positives of local AI data center construction, pointing to new tax revenue that local communities can spend on education. The top AI companies have also made varying pledges to pay for new infrastructure and cover electricity costs.