As investment in artificial intelligence has led to a boom in new data centers across the country, this week's Economist / YouGov Poll finds that many Americans oppose data center construction. About half (51%) of Americans say that the construction of new data centers is a bad thing for the country. Only 20% say it is a good thing while 17% say it is neither a good or bad thing.
Democrats are particularly likely to view data center construction negatively: 61% say it is bad for the country vs. 14% who say it is good. Independents are also much more likely to view data center construction as bad than as good (53% vs. 13%). Republicans' views are closer to evenly split: 39% see new data center construction as bad while 31% see it as good. AI users are much more likely than non-users to say that data center construction is a good thing (26% vs. 9%). Still, AI users (45%) and non-users (61%) are both more likely to say that new construction is a bad thing than to say it is a good thing.
While about half of Americans say that new data center construction is bad for the country, more express negative views about data centers in their local communities. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans would somewhat or strongly oppose a new data center being built in their community, while only 19% would support such a project.
Majorities of Democrats (71%) and Independents (66%) would oppose such construction, as would about half (52%) of Republicans. Only 14% of Democrats and 15% of Independents would support a data center project in their community, compared to 28% of Republicans. AI users are more supportive of local data center projects than are non-users (24% vs. 12%), but majorities of both users (58%) and non-users (70%) would nonetheless oppose such construction.
One issue that may drive opposition to local data centers is concerns about electricity usage. A majority (60%) of Americans think that construction of a new data center in their community would increase their electricity costs. Only 14% think new data centers would have no effect on their costs while 4% think construction would decrease their costs. Majorities of Democrats (70%) and Independents (62%), as well as half (49%) of Republicans, think new data centers would increase their electricity costs, as do majorities of AI users (58%) and non-users (62%).
Another potential concern is the effect of data center construction on home values. Nearly half (46%) of Americans think that new data center construction would decrease the value of homes in their community. Only 10% think it would raise local home values, while 15% think it would have no effect. 49% of homeowners and 41% of renters think it would decrease home values, while only 8% of homeowners and 13% of renters think it would increase house prices.
Republicans are less likely to expect data centers to decrease home values than are Democrats or Independents. While 37% of Republicans think a new data center would lower local home values, 34% think it would either raise them (16%) or have no effect (18%). In contrast, a majority (55%) of Democrats and about half (48%) of Independents think new data centers would lower home values; 18% of Democrats and 23% of Independents think new data centers would either increase home values or have no effect. AI users are less likely than non-users to say data centers would lower home values (43% vs. 51%), while only a small share of each group thinks data centers would raise home values (14% of AI users and 4% of non-users).
Americans have slightly more trust in Democrats than in Republicans about data centers. 37% of Americans say they trust Democrats more to handle data centers, while 30% say they trust Republicans more and 33% say they trust the two parties equally. Americans who identify as Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly trust their own party more on the issue, but Independents are more likely to trust Democrats than Republicans by about a two-to-one margin (32% vs. 14%; 54% of Independents trust both parties equally).
These results are nearly identical to patterns of trust on artificial intelligence: On that issue, Americans again favor Democrats over Republicans by 37% to 30%, with Independents favoring Democrats over Republicans by 31% to 14%.
Image: Getty (Brandon Bell / Staff)
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