Data centers become the face of AI backlash

Only a small fraction of data center opponents actually live near one, according to new polling by a consulting firm that counsels leading AI labs and tech startups. The findings by Milltown Partners highlight how data centers have become a stand-in for broader anger at an AI future many Americans don't want but fear they'll have to pay for. The public is still divided on data centers, with direct opposition not yet a majority view. But nearly half of respondents support a temporary construction ban, according to Milltown's findings. Most opposition to data centers isn't coming from neighbors. Only 8 percent of the respondents who oppose data centers say they know of one or more data centers near their home, the poll found.