AI companies are planning trillions of dollars in data-centre construction, but public opposition is intensifying, with more than 60% of Americans supporting limits on new facilities. A Data & Society report argues that resistance is driven less by foreign interference than by concerns about AI’s supposedly inevitable expansion, local impacts and communities’ memories of damaging industrial development.

The 18-month study interviewed 44 Pennsylvanians and found that residents were sceptical of promises about economic growth, drawing on the state’s history of coal, oil, steel and fracking. Data-centre projects worth $68 billion were reportedly disrupted by local opponents in the second quarter of 2026, while unions remain supportive because construction could provide jobs and strengthen membership, despite limited long-term employment. The report also describes industry-backed promotional efforts, including the Pennsylvania Connects website and lobbying by the Data Center Coalition.