Survey: Americans Oppose AI Data Centers but Use Chatbots Every Day

Gallup, the American polling organization, asked Americans in May what they thought about new data centers for AI. 71% said they would oppose building one in their area. That is higher than the 53% who said the same about a new nuclear power plant. Pew Research Center, the American public opinion research center, found that chatbots are now used by half of all American adults. That is more than double the share from 2023. One in four people say they talk to a chatbot every day.

These two numbers point in different directions. Resistance to the infrastructure behind AI is high, while for many people, using the chatbots it powers has already become a daily habit. This gap does not tell us what will happen to data center construction plans going forward. But it fits a familiar pattern. People often resist a new technology right up until it quietly becomes part of their routine.