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- Data centers power the AI revolution, and are sprouting all over the US.
- They can also be a drain on water and energy, and face opposition in many towns.
- A new Pew Research Center survey found that Americans who know about data centers don't like them.
There are over 1,200 data centers scattered across the United States, and thanks to the AI boom, many more are on the way.
Those data centers also, it seems, confirm the adage "familiarity breeds contempt."
A new survey from the Pew Research Council, conducted in January and published Thursday, found that the more Americans learn about data centers — and their effects on home energy costs, quality of life, the environment, local jobs, and tax revenue — the more cynical they feel about them.
"Two-thirds of adults who have heard a lot about data centers say they're mostly bad for home energy costs, compared with 42% of those who have heard a little," the center reported. "And 63% of those who have heard a lot about the facilities say they're mostly bad for the environment, compared with 48% of those who have heard a little."
Pew found that 25% of adults know "a lot" about data centers, while 50% said "a little" and 25% said "nothing at all." It surveyed 8,500 Americans for the report.
Data center investigation
While data centers have been around for decades, their numbers are skyrocketing as companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and others race to develop ever more intelligent AI models.
Companies like Oracle, for example, will invest $500 billion over four years in AI infrastructure for OpenAI in a venture called Stargate, which is backed by the Trump administration. The president has made data center construction a key pillar of his administration's strategy to defeat China in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence.
Many Americans outside Silicon Valley, however, feel as excited about another new data center as they do about AI overall. Some communities are now pushing back, citing concerns about energy costs and the environment. Tensions have flared at protests, city hall meetings, and on Capitol Hill.
In response to these growing concerns, tech leaders said this month they would cover a greater share of data center energy costs during a visit to the White House.
"They're going to be making their own electricity," Trump said of the tech companies. "They're not going to be taking from the grid."
Those companies signed a "pledge" to provide their own power, which, in the end, is voluntary and includes no repercussions if they don't comply.
