You know AI data centers have an image problem when more people say they’d rather live near a nuclear reactor.
A new Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans say they don’t want a data center being built where they live, far more than the 53% who would oppose construction of a nearby nuclear power plant.
Of those opposed to data center construction, 48% said they were strongly in opposition.
The survey, conducted in March, found that data centers are broadly unpopular across the political spectrum.
Democrats were more likely to express strong opposition. 56% of Democrats indicated strong opposition to local data center construction, compared to 39% of Republicans and 48% of Independents.
More than a quarter of Republican and Independent respondents said they were somewhat opposed, compared to 19% of Democrats.
In the March survey, 46% of all respondents said they worry a great deal about the impact of data centers on the environment.
The vast majority of data center opposition stems from concerns over the environment and use of natural resources, Gallup found in a follow-up April web survey.
Half of the opponents of local data center construction cited the impact on resources as their main concern, with 18% citing excessive water and energy use.
Nearly a quarter of opponents were concerned about the impact on quality of life, including rising property values. Also, 20% said they were concerned about increased costs, including higher electricity bills.
Anti-AI sentiment was a less important factor for opponents, as 10% said they disliked the technology, and 4% said they don’t trust it.
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