AI Matters
Why it matters
US public opposition to local data centers surges to 75 percent
The Decoder Data center opposition surged from 42 to 75 percent in just one year, survey finds
A new survey reveals that 75 percent of Americans now oppose building data centers near their homes, up from 42 percent last year.
Why it matters
Rising public resistance to the physical infrastructure powering AI could slow down data center construction and delay tech deployments.
Latest brief · Aug 31, 2026