EDITORIAL: AI and establishment distrust

The rapid expansion of AI is driving data center growth, but public resistance to new facilities is escalating. In the US, a March Gallup poll found 71 percent of Americans oppose local data centers, with a Pew Research Center survey in August indicating discomfort over environmental impact, utility bills, and quality of life. This opposition has led to 120 US data center projects, valued at US$198 billion, being blocked or delayed in the first half of this year.

While immediate concerns over electricity price hikes and water waste trigger local backlash, analysts from institutions like the Brookings Institution suggest a deeper public anxiety about corporate overreach and unchecked AI development. Utah Governor Spencer Cox noted that data centers have become a tangible target for these anxieties, uniting Americans across party lines.

This trend of grassroots opposition is not confined to the US; it is also spreading across the Asia-Pacific region. The article notes that conflicts over data center construction in Japan, Australia, and India are sometimes more pronounced than those seen in the US, indicating a broader regional challenge.

The growing policy uncertainties abroad, particularly concerning additional restrictions on data centers, warrant observation for their potential impact on tech giants' capital expenditure and the AI supply chain, including companies in Taiwan. The extent to which this public resistance will affect investment and development remains to be seen.