- The environment, energy costs, quality of life and taxes are all concerns
- Americans are largely split about whether data centers are even good news for jobs
- Negative sentiments are rising across the board regardless of political background
With the US midterm elections around the corner and AI data centers increasingly becoming part of political discourse, new Pew Research Center reporting has revealed Americans’ attitudes toward these facilities have become even more negative as 2026 continues.
Surveying more than 10,500 US adults, the study found only 4% thought data centers are a positive thing for the environment, home energy costs and local residents’ quality of life.
On the flip side, more than half (54%) thought they were ‘mostly bad’ for the environment, up from 39% in January 2026, around half a year prior, showing a marked increase just in a short space of time.
US citizens are increasingly turning against AI data centers
In fact, Americans believe US data centers are worse for home energy costs (50%), quality of life (49%) and local tax revenue (21%) than before.
And with hyperscalers all promising to add hundreds or, sometimes thousands, of operational jobs on top of thousands of temporary construction jobs locally, residents are even starting to disbelieve these promises. Interestingly, the proportion of nationals perceiving data centers as mostly bad for local jobs rose nine percentage points, from 15% at the beginning of 2026 to 24% halfway through the year.
Perceptions are now mostly split, with 24% seeing projects as mostly bad for jobs and 22% seeing them as mostly good.
This still leaves a considerable proportion of Americans – 18% to 32% depending on issue – uncertain about the impact of data centers.
Opinions are shifting
Today, three in five US citizens say they’d either be not too comfortable, or not comfortable at all, with a new data center operating in their area. Rural inhabitants are more likely than before to have negative perceptions, likely with more projects being approved for extra-urban locations where space is at less of a premium.
The study also delves into the political implications, confirming that Americans are increasingly unsettled by data centers right across the board, be it by age, gender, education levels or political party. While Democrats are more likely overall to have negative feelings, supporters of both major parties have actually become more unhappy throughout 2026.
Arguably one of the biggest findings of this report isn’t necessarily where the split lies and whether Americans are worried about environmental, social or economic impacts – it’s the sheer pace that negative sentiments have grown in little more than just half a year.
All of this is, of course, playing out during an important time for the US politically.
While President Trump continues to advocate for AI and data center buildouts in an effort to be a global leader, more and more states and regions are imposing temporary bans to reassess legislation and local impacts, including Texas itself – the home of OpenAI‘s massive Stargate project.
