How AI data centers became a key element in the political battle in the U.S.

How AI data centers became a key element in the political battle in the U.S. - Author, Kali Hays - Author Title, Technology Journalist - Reported from, San Francisco - Publication Date - Reading Time: 8 min A year ago, this veteran U.S. senator didn't think much about data centers. Now, according to one of his advisors, he holds regular meetings with his staff to evaluate their impact and is working on new legislation aimed at curbing their rapid expansion across the country. "Sometimes it happens: something starts slowly and then accelerates," the democretic senator's chief political advisor told the BBC, on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to speak to the press. The radical shift in this senator's stance was due almost entirely to a growing wave of public rejection that has forced politicians across the country to strive to stay up to date. Public opinion has turned against the expansion of data centers, the large warehouses that house the processing capacity necessary for internet activity. Filled with rows and rows of chips, sometimes up to two meters high, data centers have become more than just internet infrastructure. They are seen as the materialization of the recent and explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the various fears the public associates with them. "I don't want to be the guinea pig for this," he told the BBC Angelita Soriano, a resident of Indiana. Right in front of his house, a new data center for Amazon is being built. Once finished, the complex of 26 buildings, powered by 782 diesel generators, will occupy more than 1.6 square kilometers of their neighborhood. Some data centers are even larger. In Ohio, a joint initiative between OpenAI, Nvidia, SB Energy, and the U.S. Department of Energy will build a data center complex spanning approximately 9.6 square kilometers, the same size as most U.S. municipalities. There are currently about 3,000 data centers operating in that country, and this number is expected to double in the coming years, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. They are built following very local rules and permits, meaning federal legislators have little influence on the process. However, the opposition to these massive facilities has grown so rapidly in the United States that, suddenly, politicians at all levels are practically forced to take a stance. "This is not just a left-wing issue; there is strong opposition to data centers among conservatives," stated Chloe Autio, an AI policy advisor. "Whoever articulates a clear position and remains firm in it, regardless of their party, will undoubtedly benefit." Her analysis was supported by the U.S. senator's advisor who works on data center legislation. "There is a clear political need we are trying to address," he stated. "It is a strong reaction across the country: citizens are seeing the impact of data centers and they don't like it." This has put many in the Capitol, also Republicans, in direct conflict with President Donald Trump, who has defended the unrestricted growth of AI technology. Trump has labeled the negative reaction against data centers as an "unhealthy conspiracy" and described the people and nations working to prevent the construction of these buildings as "backward and poor." Democratic politicians seeking to capture votes from the discontented and undecided ahead of the upcoming midterm elections are seeking to capitalize on the president's anger. The BBC interviewed residents of Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Oregon who have organized locally to oppose data center development. They expressed concern about various aspects of these buildings, such as their size, the noise generated by their construction and operation, their impact on the air, water, and energy resources, as well as how quickly local authorities seem to approve them. "David versus Goliath" During the first months of this year, the groups organized against data centers more than doubled, reaching 833. New initiatives emerged in almost all states of the U.S., according to a study by Data Center Watch, a company that collects data for stakeholders in the AI industry and is part of a new AI company called 10a Labs. Stephanie Maldonado, policy director for LUCHA, a community organizing group based in Arizona, referred to the resistance to data centers as "a story of David versus Goliath" that began several years ago. "People were willing to put an end to it," Maldonado added. "Now, people are angry." New national polls show that the regulation of AI and data centers are among the most important topics for voters in this election cycle, behind issues such as the ongoing war with Iran and the economy. Those who support the construction of data centers usually argue that these projects will create more local and better-paying jobs. However, a recent investigation by the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan political research group, revealed that a new data center creates between 100 and 200 local jobs, a figure lower than that claimed by sector advocates. Furthermore, these projects have practically no impact on local wages. Candidates facing data centers The Governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, was one of those defenders until public pressure forced her to change her mind. In July, she enacted a three-year moratorium on all new tax exemptions granted to companies in data center projects. Arizona is not the only state where politicians have reacted to the controversy surrounding these centers. Abdul El Sayed, a Democrat running for the Senate in Michigan, made the new data center rules and regulations a fundamental part of his successful campaign in the Senate primaries. In the race to be the next governor of Georgia, the Democratic candidate, Keisha Lance Botton, advocates for a pause in data center development across the state, and polls place her in a technical tie with Republican Rick Jackson, who disagrees. In Ohio, Republican Senator John Husted, who is fighting to keep his seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, has also had to modify his stance. Recent polls reveal that most Ohio voters oppose data centers. Therefore, he has moderated his support, and now says that their construction should be the decision of the citizens and local elected officials. Meanwhile, Brown has campaigned against the new data centers. In recent polls, he is ahead of Husted. Husted's problems in Ohio led the Republican National Senatorial Committee, the main fundraising arm for conservatives in the Senate, to write in a private memo that Republican politicians should completely rethink their way of speaking to voters about data centers. "This has become a latent issue throughout the entire election cycle," the committee added. Texas is perhaps the clearest example of how adverse reaction has become an undeniable problem even for the most pro-business politician. According to Pew data, the state currently has almost 300 operational data centers, and another 170 are planned for development. At the end of last year, Republican Governor Greg Abbott boasted that Texas was "the epicenter of AI development" due to the number of data centers it housed. In a matter of months, he backed down, citing concerns about "security and quality of life." It could also influence the election outcome in the state. Democrat James Talarico's campaign is pushing to end the tax favoritism given to large technology companies. He is now considered one of the favorites for this seat, traditionally held by Republicans, who nominate Attorney General Ken Paxton. In an interview at the end of September, Paxton stated that there is still "plenty of room in Texas where we can install data centers." Many of the measures or proposals that have emerged from politicians to appease dissatisfied voters are temporary. Most moratoriums, for example, will end within one to three years. It is possible that by the time they expire, the political landscape will have changed, leaving large technology and artificial intelligence companies free to develop their projects as they wish. For now, public sentiment towards them is strong. Balaji Tammabattula, executive director of Barupon, leads the development of a data center and a technology campus of approximately 700 acres in Liberty, Texas. Despite the buildings being designed to collect rainwater and self-supply energy, a design increasingly common in large data center projects, Tammabattula told the BBC that the community strongly opposes the project. "There is such a level of tension from the beginning that you can't even explain the facts," he said. Tammabattula said that at a recent community event, he tried to speak privately with a woman who vehemently opposed the project: "She just stared at me and told me: 'Get out of my state'." This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before publication. More information on how we use AI. - Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news, documentaries, and analysis alerts, all in one place. 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