Americans are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of AI, new poll finds
Gallup says opposition spans red states and rural communities, with 4 million Americans living within one mile of data centers.
- A recent Gallup poll shows that 71% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers, demonstrating widespread public resistance to the infrastructure required for artificial intelligence.
- Environmental concerns drive this bipartisan opposition, as 53% of Americans express high concern over artificial intelligence's impact, with many citing excessive water usage and pollution risks from data centers.
- According to Gallup's March 2026 data, opposition is bipartisan, with 75% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans opposing construction where they live.
- Foreign state actors are "amplifying the homegrown data center revolt" as "a wedge against trust in U.S. infrastructure, companies, and government," Alethea's report warned.
- Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the AI Data Center Moratorium Act to impose a federal freeze on large-scale facility expansion.
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Americans are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of AI, new poll finds – WTOP News
On the way home from a recent trip, Eriech Tapia drove past a sea of dark industrial buildings lining an already jam-packed northern Virginia road: data centers. “It was interesting to see how many were going up,” said Tapia, a 30-year-old Republican from Arlington, Virginia, who works in higher education advocacy and policy. He said...
Fort Smith/Fayetteville News
Rising concerns about AI's environmental impact drive calls to limit data centers in the US
Democrats are driving much of the increase in environmental concern, but the poll also reveals broader worries about the local impact of data centers.
On Artificial Influence: Foreign Campaigns Have Hand in Domestic AI Concerns
Opposition to local AI data centers is bipartisan, according to a March 2026 Gallup poll, which found that majorities of Democrats (75%) and Republicans (63%) would oppose construction of an AI data center where they live. Overall, 71% of those surveyed expressed opposition to data center construction, a significantly greater figure than the 53% who said […]
Voters mostly don’t like AI and data centers, but neither party seems to have an edge
Poll data released Tuesday by the New York Times and Siena University confirms what we've already been seeing, and what politicians are responding to - AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular. Asked if they support or oppose the construction of data centers to power AI tech, 61 percent of the 1,503 likely voters surveyed in early September (ahead of the recent AI safety slowdown discussion) said they were opposed, with only 14 percent sayin…
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