Contributor: America's lead in AI is now at the mercy of local zoning boards
Key takeaways
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- A Gallup poll released last month ought to alarm anyone who cares about whether the United States can best China in the artificial intelligence race.
- The opponents are not fringe, and their concerns — higher utility bills, water draw, noise and competing land use — are legitimate, specific and grounded in how these facilities operate.
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A Gallup poll released last month ought to alarm anyone who cares about whether the United States can best China in the artificial intelligence race. More than 7 in 10 Americans now oppose the building of AI data centers anywhere near where they live — and 48% are strongly opposed, a level of local resistance that exceeds opposition to new nuclear power plants.
The opponents are not fringe, and their concerns — higher utility bills, water draw, noise and competing land use — are legitimate, specific and grounded in how these facilities operate. In L.A.’s neighboring Monterey Park, voters overwhelmingly cast ballots to ban all data centers in their city. Nationally, opposition seems to only be gaining momentum.