Americans are far more likely to oppose the construction of AI data centres than citizens of other big economies, as a grassroots backlash against the rollout of the technology gains momentum across the country.
A poll conducted by Public First found that voters in the US, home of almost all leading AI companies, had the lowest appetite for building computing power among 15 large countries, including Japan, Canada, Brazil and the UK.
Just 26 per cent of Americans supported increased construction of data centres, while roughly 30 per cent of Britons, Germans and French backed such projects. Support was highest in Nigeria, where 74 per cent believed in building more infrastructure, and in India, at 65 per cent.