ai labs pour trillions into data centers as public opposition grows

frontier ai labs are investing trillions of dollars in data center projects, citing the need for more computation to improve artificial intelligence. however, public opinion surveys show that over 60% of americans favor limiting new data centers, especially in their local communities. this opposition is not just from nimby groups, but a diverse coalition of people concerned about the impact of data centers. the opposition has grown rapidly, with data center projects worth $68 billion disrupted by local opponents in the second quarter of 2026.