Polls show majority oppose AI data centers

A New York Times and Siena University poll released Tuesday indicates strong public opposition to AI infrastructure, with 61% of likely voters against constructing new data centers. The primary drivers for this opposition are environmental impact (32%) and local community effects (21%), rather than general distrust of the technology itself. Although opposition is significant across demographics, including among Trump voters, the issue ranks below 1% in importance for most voters when deciding their midterm preferences. This contrasts with earlier polls showing AI polling lower than ICE on broader sentiment scales.