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Penn. Gov. Shapiro says too many data center developers 'don't care about our communities'

7 in 10 Americans oppose local AI data centers. Now governors are calling out developers for ignoring communities.

Paper-cut illustration of an amber microchip with circuit paths extending into a row of data-center cabinets.
The infrastructure powering AI.AI illustration by KeyNews
The KeyNews take

Why it matters

AI's compute buildout is colliding with local opposition and governance. Practitioners deploying infrastructure need to navigate community resistance; enthusiasts tracking the AI story should watch whether political pushback slows the data-center race.

The key facts

7 to know
  1. Gallup survey (May 2026): 70% of Americans oppose constructing data centers for AI in their local area

  2. Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro publicly criticizes data-center developers for not engaging communities

  3. Framing: AI infrastructure as a workforce/policy/society issue, not a tech story

  4. Gallup survey (May 2026): 70% of Americans oppose AI data center construction in their local area

  5. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro publicly criticized data center developers for ignoring community concerns

  6. Data center siting and AI infrastructure becoming a state-level political issue

  7. Community opposition framed as a governance and deployment barrier

Go to the source

CNBC Technologycnbc.com

Publisher excerpt: A Gallup survey released in May found that "seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area."
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