Trump Says Many Americans Want Data Centers—Here's What Polls Show
Recent polls show that the American public is increasingly cooling on AI infrastructure.
President Donald Trump made a statement on Tuesday at a meeting with AI CEOs, asserting that many Americans desire the construction of data centers. However, recent polls conducted by Gallup and the Pew Research Center suggest that a growing number of Americans are expressing negative sentiments towards these infrastructure projects.
Communities have shared accounts of hardships caused by data centers, and some Democratic lawmakers have called for a halt to construction across the country. Newsweek contacted the White House for comment, awaiting a reply.
During the meeting, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to discontinue the use of terms "artificial intelligence" and "AI" in official communications and to replace them with "Super Intelligence" and "SI." He also signed a voluntary accord with six prominent AI figures, including Google's Sundar Pichai, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's Greg Brockman, xAI's Elon Musk, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang.
Trump claimed that Americans viewed data centers as becoming "very popular," emphasizing that the areas with such facilities have experienced economic benefits, such as reduced taxes. He further claimed that these locations had brought positive changes to the community. However, polling data indicates that the American public may not share Trump's optimistic view on data centers.
In May, a Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans opposed the construction of AI data centers in their communities, citing concerns about environmental impact, quality of life, pollution, and economic effects. In September, a Pew Research Center poll of over 10,000 U.S. adults revealed that 60% of respondents would be uncomfortable with a new data center being built in their area.
A majority believed that data centers were detrimental to home energy costs, quality of life, and local environments. Protests against AI data center infrastructure have occurred in 42 states, with rallies demanding a freeze on AI infrastructure development.
Some state governors have taken action to address concerns surrounding AI data centers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit of proposed data centers, halting new grid connections until reviews were completed. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro issued an executive order imposing strict requirements on data-center developers, including local approval. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has paused state tax incentives for new data centers due to concerns about costs and water resources.
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