U.S. AI Distrust Deepens as Data Center Backlash Grows

Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into business decisions, hiring, healthcare and everyday products, sharpening debate over productivity gains, job displacement and corporate accountability. Research by Bentley University and Gallup shows that greater familiarity does not eliminate public unease: even knowledgeable Americans remain more likely to see AI as harmful than beneficial, while transparency has emerged as a central requirement for companies seeking wider acceptance.

Gallup surveyed 5,835 U.S. adults from April 29 to May 6, 2024. Sixty-four percent said they were at least somewhat knowledgeable about AI, yet among those describing themselves as extremely knowledgeable, 31% said the technology does more harm than good, versus 22% who saw greater benefits. Three-quarters expected AI to reduce U.S. employment over the next decade, while 77% had little or no trust in businesses to use it responsibly.

AI data centers provide the computing power needed to train and operate models, but consume large amounts of land, electricity and cooling water. Residents are concerned about electricity bills, pollution, noise and the impact on their quality of life. This “not in my backyard” backlash has become a major obstacle to technology companies expanding computing capacity, local government approvals and U.S. competitiveness in AI.

Gallup released a survey on May 13, 2026, based on interviews with 1,000 U.S. adults conducted from March 2 to 18. It found that 71% opposed building an AI data center near their homes, including 48% who strongly opposed it, while only 27% were in favor. By comparison, 53% opposed a nearby nuclear power plant in the same survey. A separate poll of 2,054 people conducted from April 1 to 15 found that, among opponents, 50% cited resource consumption and 20% raised cost concerns.