A sharp public backlash is emerging against the data centers that support AI, with a new Gallup survey finding that most Americans do not want AI-focused data centers built near where they live.
According to the poll, not only do 71% of Americans oppose construction of AI data centers in their communities, 48% said they are strongly opposed. Only 26% said they favor nearby projects, while a mere 7% expressed strong support.
The findings reveal a major disconnect between the tech industry’s aggressive AI expansion plans and public sentiment at the local level. Hyperscalers are building massive facilities across the country to support AI training and inference workloads, yet residents see these projects as a source of numerous environmental and economic concerns.
The poll, conducted in March and surveying 1,000 U.S. adults, was the first time Gallup measured national attitudes toward AI-focused data center construction.
In a rare example of a unifying issue, the resistance cuts across party lines, although Democrats showed the strongest opposition. Gallup found that 56% of Democrats strongly oppose data center construction in their area, compared with 48% of independents and 39% of Republicans.
Women were also more likely than men to strongly oppose nearby facilities, by a margin of 55% to 43%.
The survey reveals that environmental concerns are driving much of the backlash. Seventy percent of respondents said they worry about the environmental impact of AI data centers, including 46% who said they worry “a great deal” and another 24% who said they worry “a fair amount.”
Among opponents, roughly half cited excessive resource consumption as a primary concern. Gallup found that 18% specifically mentioned water usage and another 18% pointed to energy consumption. An additional 16% referenced pollution concerns, including noise pollution and air or water impacts.
Quality-of-life issues also ranked high. About 22% of opponents cited issues such as increased traffic, population growth or objections to how land would be used. Roughly one in five opponents also raised economic concerns, including fears of higher utility bills and rising living costs.
Major Change in Attitude
The poll reflects a major shift in public sentiment about data centers. These facilities were once viewed mainly as economic development projects that generated tax revenue and construction jobs. But communities now view them more as industrial facilities that place pressure on already strained infrastructure.
The results also reveal a notable contrast with public attitudes toward nuclear energy projects. Gallup reported that 53% of Americans oppose building a nuclear power plant in their community, substantially lower than the 71% opposed to AI data centers. That gap is striking given the long history of political controversy surrounding nuclear energy.
Supporters of data center development continue to emphasize economic upside. Among respondents who favored nearby construction, about two-thirds cited economic benefits, while 55% specifically mentioned job creation. Smaller percentages pointed to increased tax revenue, infrastructure investment and technology advancement.
In contrast, major technology firms argue that rapid expansion of computing capacity is essential to remain competitive in AI development, particularly against China. Federal and some state officials have similarly framed AI infrastructure as a national competitiveness issue.
But across the country, opposition to data centers has evolved from isolated local disputes into larger political conflicts. Residents in several regions have challenged zoning approvals, organized public campaigns and pressured lawmakers to block projects tied to large data facilities.
For the AI industry, the backlash poses a major challenge. As demand for AI computing capacity surges rapidly, tech companies are investing tens of billions of dollars into data center expansion and chip infrastructure. Yet at the same time, local resistance is becoming more organized and politically influential.
