Rage Against the Data Centers - Newsweek
Rage Against the Data Centers - Newsweek
摘要: By
Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Prefer Newsw
正文
Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Prefer Newsweek on Google
to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
For years, artificial intelligence was largely an abstract political debate about chatbots, automation, and the future of work. In 2026, that changed. Across the United States,
the physical infrastructure powering AI
has become a flashpoint in local politics, state elections, and community activism, uniting voters who rarely agree on much else.
At the center of the debate are the vast data centers required to power
systems. Supporters argue they are essential to maintaining American technological leadership and competing with China. Critics counter that the facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, require significant water resources, and can reshape communities with little local input.
The result is a growing backlash that now stretches from rural Texas and Pennsylvania to New York suburbs and beyond, creating one of the few issues in American politics that appears to transcend traditional partisan lines.
Read More
U.S.
...
Americans Don't Want Data Centers Next Door
Evidence of that opposition continues to mount.
A June 2026 survey from Echelon Insights found that voters opposed building an AI data center in their community by a margin of 62 percent to 27 percent. Even after respondents were shown additional messaging about economic and technological benefits, opposition remained at 58 percent.
Just as notable was what voters appeared willing to accept instead. In the same survey, more respondents said they would support building a nuclear power plant in their community than an AI data center.
According to Echelon Insights, support for a nuclear plant stood at 34 percent, compared with just 27 percent for an AI data center, while opposition to nuclear facilities was lower than opposition to data centers.
The finding r