A growing number of Americans are turning against data centers, with opposition now surpassing concerns over artificial intelligence despite industry arguments that the backlash is often misplaced. While tech firms point to relatively low water usage compared to other sectors—such as golf courses—and limited evidence of major environmental harm, public skepticism continues to rise. The debate highlights tensions between technological expansion and community concerns over infrastructure impacts. Critics question whether the benefits of data centers outweigh their perceived drawbacks in local areas.
The data center backlash is intensifying. In fact, more Americans now oppose data centers than fear AI. This is true even though tech companies have plausible defenses to much of the backlash. Data centers, for example, use far less water than the nation's golf courses. There is little evidence so far that they significantly raise...
