New Poll Shows 61 Percent of Voters Oppose AI Data Centers

According to a survey of 1,503 likely voters conducted in early September by the New York Times and Siena University, 61 percent of respondents oppose building data centers to power artificial intelligence. Only 14 percent of those surveyed strongly support such projects. Political divisions are notable: among 2024 Donald Trump voters, 49 percent support construction while 45 percent oppose it. Conversely, 74 percent of Kamala Harris voters and 67 percent of non-voters express opposition.

Among the respondents who oppose these facilities, 56 percent advocate for placing limits on them, while 38 percent favor a complete ban. The primary driver of this resistance is environmental anxiety, with 32 percent citing water usage and ecological impacts. Additionally, 21 percent worry about the impact on local communities, 18 percent express a general dislike or distrust of AI, 10 percent raise regulatory concerns, and 9 percent point to economic issues. This sentiment aligns with previous research, including a March NBC News poll showing AI ranking lower than Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a May Gallup poll where seven in ten Americans opposed local data center construction.

Despite this widespread opposition, the issue remains a low priority for most electorates. Less than one percent of most demographic groups identify AI and data centers as a key factor in their voting decisions, though this rises to three percent among voters aged 18 to 29. When asked which political party they trust to manage the issue, 42 percent of 554 respondents favor Republicans, 40 percent favor Democrats, and 18 percent remain undecided.

For AI practitioners and infrastructure developers, these findings signal a challenging regulatory and public relations landscape. While the issue does not yet dominate national elections, local resistance is formidable. Engineers and project managers must prepare for stricter local zoning laws, heightened environmental scrutiny, and organized community opposition. To successfully scale compute capacity, companies will need to invest heavily in sustainable technologies, such as water-efficient cooling, and engage in proactive community outreach to address public skepticism.