AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular in every poll

Poll Results: AI and Data Centers Are Broadly Unpopular

Poll data released Tuesday by the New York Times and Siena University confirms what has been increasingly visible in public sentiment - AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular among American voters.

Key Findings

• 61% of the 1,503 likely voters surveyed in early September said they oppose the construction of data centers to power AI technology.
• Only 14% said they strongly support such construction.
• The split among 2024 Donald Trump voters was nearly even: 49% support to 45% oppose.
• Kamala Harris voters leaned oppose at 74%, and non-voters at 67%.

Opposition Breakdown

Among the 56% of voters who said they opposed data centers:

• 56% supported limits on construction.
• 38% preferred a total ban.

Reasons for Opposition

Broader Context

• An NBC News poll in March showed AI polling lower than ICE.
• A Gallup poll in May revealed seven in ten Americans opposed local construction of AI data centers.

AI as a Midterm Issue

Despite the widespread opposition, AI and data centers ranked low on the list of issues voters saw as most important in deciding their midterm vote:

• Across most demographics, AI and data centers registered at less than one percent.
• The notable exception was the 18-29 age group, where 3% picked AI/data centers as a top issue - still behind the economy, foreign policy, inflation, and opposition to Trump/Republicans.

Trust by Party

Among the 554 respondents asked which party they trusted to handle the issue:

• 40% favored Democrats
• 42% favored Republicans
• 18% said they didn't know or refused

Voters in either party overwhelmingly picked their own party as the one they trusted to handle AI and data center policy.