Public Opposition to Local Data Centers Rises Sharply
Six in 10 Americans now oppose nearby server facilities even as broader views on artificial intelligence hold steady, survey finds.
Opposition to local data center construction has increased substantially across the United States over a four-month period, according to a survey released by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
The national survey found that 61% of U.S. adults oppose the construction of new data centers in their local area. That figure represents a 12-percentage-point increase from a similar survey conducted in February and March, when opposition stood at 49%. Support for local facilities dropped from 21% to 14% over the same period.
Resistance to the physical infrastructure required for artificial intelligence spans political affiliations. Majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%) and independents (53%) oppose nearby data centers. Opposition proved highest among young adults under age 30 at 70%, compared to 57% among adults 65 and older.
Despite the shift in attitudes toward physical facilities, broader views regarding artificial intelligence remained stable. The proportion of respondents expecting AI to have a negative impact on the country over the next decade held at 39%. A consistent 68% of respondents said the federal government has done too little to regulate the technology.
Public sentiment varied across specific AI applications. Across 13 surveyed areas, medical research and discoveries was the only sector where anticipated benefits outweighed expected negative impacts. Respondents expressed the greatest concern regarding personal privacy and data security, children’s online safety and employment.
While frequent users of AI tools expressed greater overall optimism about the technology’s national impact, opposition to local data center construction remained essentially flat regardless of usage frequency.
The survey was conducted online and by telephone from June 16 to July 19 among a nationally representative sample of 1,320 U.S. adult citizens. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is Assistant Editor of EPOnline.com.
