U.S. citizens are the most opposed to the construction of AI data centers compared to populations in other countries, according to a poll by Public First.
The global survey asked citizens in 15 large countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and Brazil, and found that only 26% of Americans supported increased data center construction. By comparison, roughly a third of citizens in the United Kingdom, Germany and France respectively supported the projects.
Support was highest in Nigeria, at 74%, followed by India at 65%.
As the Financial Times reported, Seb Wride, head of opinion research at Public First, said: “Our research shows America, the home of Silicon Valley and the majority of the biggest tech companies, has the population least in favor of the very infrastructure needed to support that sector.”
In the same vein, separate research from consulting firm Gallup found that seven in 10 Americans oppose local data center construction, with 46% saying they worry a great deal about the environmental impact of AI data centers.
Some 22% cited concerns about quality-of-life impacts from the infrastructure, such as effects on the surrounding community, land use and increased traffic, while 20% were concerned about costs and 16% about pollution, including noise, air and light pollution.
Despite widespread opposition, the Public First study found that two-thirds of those who support building data centers cite economic benefits, and 55% said they were excited about job opportunities.