ALBAWABA - Support for the construction of AI data centers collapses in the U.S. among all demographics – showing rare alignment among the usually polarized American public.
According to a new poll by Embold Research, published by Heatmap Pro, data shows a whopping 75 percent of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their neighborhoods, with 61 percent of them registering “strong opposition.”
A year ago, only 42 percent of Americans opposed building AI centers, with this huge collapse in support being unified across demographics, the poll finds.
“If you can think of a cohort of Americans, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t welcome a data center in their area,” explained Heatmap executive editor Robinson Meyer.
“The shift against the facilities is represented across age, gender, income, partisan ID, and the rural-urban divide. Data centers are 43 points underwater with Republicans, 65 points underwater with independents, and 75 points underwater with Democrats.” he said.
Many pollster, analysts, and tech insiders, are taken aback by the sheer swiftness of the shift of public opinion on Data centers.
Meyer said the change came “on a scale that I wouldn’t have once thought possible.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen public opinion shift this quickly on an issue,” wrote Adam Carlson, founding partner at Zenith Polls.
“I’ve NEVER seen this,” another pollster wrote. “Data center opponents are converting supporters not just to neutral but to opposition.”
Former Microsoft employee and technologist Ramez Naam, described the change as “crazy” and asked, “When’s the last time political opinions on an issue shifted that fast?”
