The data center political attacks are here

TL;DR: There might be nothing more politically unpopular right now than being a data center cheerleader. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are taking note—and changing their stance—as the midterm elections approach, while AI companies are desperately trying to buy back some goodwill.

What happened: In an interview this past Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared that AI companies “dug their own grave” amid the data center backlash they’re facing—weeks after he ordered a moratorium on new data center power approvals in the state.

It’s a big shift in tone from a governor who called Texas the “epicenter of AI development” last November. And he’s far from alone: An analysis from The Washington Post shows that American politicians have gotten a lot more negative about data centers since last year. Republican leaders have typically been more welcoming of them than their Democratic counterparts, but a few pro-data center elected officials have either lost their elections or faced recalls in recent months. Now, politicians from both parties are adjusting their stance and ramping up attack ads accusing opponents of being too data center-friendly.

AI’s expensive charm offensive: AI firms, meanwhile, are probably feeling the walls closing in on them. In a private memo that leaked last week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee told AI companies to fix their PR problem, saying they had a “toxic brand.”

To be fair, the industry has been scrambling to improve public opinion—like hosting informational sessions in communities where data centers have been planned. (A recent open house hosted by OpenAI included both job boards and taco bars—and it wasn’t even Tuesday.) Then there’s the throw-money-at-it strategy: Several AI labs have pledged multimillion-dollar investments into data center towns, including Meta’s $1 billion community fund.

The payoff hasn’t come: It’s not clear that the PR blitz is working. A Gallup poll in March showed that 71% of people opposed the construction of data centers in their area. Another survey found that 61% of US adults opposed building them—an increase of 12 percentage points since February and March. As one Democratic pollster told the NYT, the backlash might be about more than just personal impact—it’s a sign of Big Tech disgruntlement more broadly, as data centers are a “physical manifestation” of Silicon Valley excess.

Bottom line: Americans have been loud and clear about being anti-data center. Whether the tech industry can change the public’s great antipathy toward them—not just in time for the midterms, but ever—is still an open question. —WK

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