WorkSeptember 15, 2026via The Verge AI
AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular in every poll
Why it matters
Public opposition to AI infrastructure is hardening into a political issue that will shape regulation, permitting delays, and deployment strategy. Practitioners building on-prem or cloud-dependent systems need to track this shift.
Key signals
- 61% of 1,503 likely voters surveyed oppose data-center construction for AI (only 14% strongly support)
- Survey conducted early September 2026 by New York Times and Siena University
- Split roughly even among Trump 2024 voters (49% support vs 45% oppose)
- Harris voters and non-voters lean toward opposition
- Political response already materializing to public sentiment
The hook
61% of voters oppose AI data-center buildouts. Here's why that matters for your infrastructure roadmap.
Poll data released Tuesday by the New York Times and Siena University confirms what we've already been seeing, and what politicians are responding to - AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular. Asked if they support or oppose the construction of data centers to power AI tech, 61 percent of the 1…