A New York Times and Siena University poll showed that 61% out of 1 503 likely voters oppose the construction of data centers to support artificial intelligence technologies. Only 14% stated they strongly support such construction.
The poll was conducted in early September, prior to discussions of recent slowdowns in the AI safety sector. The data was published by The Verge AI citing results from The New York Times and Siena University.
For companies, authorities, and proponents of AI expansion, this indicates a significant public barrier surrounding necessary infrastructure. However, the available material contains no breakdown by party, region, or reasons for the responses.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
A likely consequence is increased scrutiny from the public and authorities regarding AI-related data center projects. The next observable signals will be new polls or decisions on specific construction projects. Significant uncertainty remains due to the lack of data on the reasons for responses, partisan differences, and the regional distribution of opinions.