Are Chinese bots influencing US citizens? X flags suspected bot campaign over AI data centre, energy policy

Around 200 suspected Chinese accounts have allegedly sought to sway American perspectives on AI data centers and energy policy on social media platform X, according to a report by Axios. The platform's safety team discovered nearly 200,000 such accounts, with around 200 identified as potentially manipulative in their posts. These posts raised concerns about AI data centers straining the electricity grid and raising utility costs, often using cartoon imagery to portray data center operators as profiting at the public's expense. It remains uncertain whether X will suspend or remove these accounts.

This influence operation coincides with the ongoing US-China race to develop advanced AI systems. Data centers are essential to AI as they provide the computing power required to train and run large AI models. Efforts to curb the growth of US data centers could impact the overall AI expansion. The issue has also drawn attention in the US Congress, with lawmakers requesting briefings from the FBI and White House advisers on alleged influence campaigns by foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran aimed at impeding US AI development and data-center growth.

While the alleged Chinese influence campaign might not be the sole cause of opposition to data centers, recent surveys indicate growing American concerns. A University of Pennsylvania survey from early August found that 61% of Americans oppose building new data centers in their area, a 12 percentage point increase from an earlier survey.

A recent YouGov poll revealed that only 24% of Americans view the construction of new data centers positively for the country, while 47% hold a negative view. This backlash poses a challenge to the AI industry, with several Wall Street banks citing political opposition to data centers as a risk to the broader AI sector.