Artificial intelligence is emerging as a rare issue that is bringing people across the political spectrum together ahead of this year's midterm elections, as Americans across party lines are expressing concerns about the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, according to an NBC News Decision Desk poll that was published Sunday. When asked how they identify, 34 percent of those polled in the survey said Republican, 29 percent said Independent and 37 percent said Democrat. Overall, 69 percent of Americans said they oppose an AI data center being built in their local area, including 45 percent who strongly oppose the idea.
Just 31 percent said they support having one built nearby. The poll shows that 70 percent are also more worried about AI than 30 percent who say they are more excited about it. The findings point to concerns that can transcend traditional party lines when AI infrastructure has a direct impact on local communities.
When asked, "Which political party do you trust more to make good policy decisions about AI?" 20 percent said the Democrats, 16 percent said the Republican Party, 44 percent said neither party, 5 percent said both parties equally and 15 percent said not sure. "Worries about the technology transcend virtually all of the demographic divides that usually define American politics and policy. Republicans and Democrats, men and women, those with and without college degrees, and Americans who live in cities, suburbs, small towns and rural areas were united in their discomfort with AI.
Tech-savvy young Americans are just as concerned about AI as their older counterparts," NBC News said in a write up on the poll. The poll surveyed 7,105 adults online from August 20 to September 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently warned that the public debate over AI has been too quiet, saying his concerns about the technology’s rapid development pushed him to speak out more forcefully against what he sees as a lack of meaningful safeguards.
He pointed to risks including cyberattacks, bioterrorism and broader psychological and social consequences, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper that he was “shocked” that stronger safeguards are not already in place. Gates also argued that simply restricting data centers would not meaningfully slow AI's development because companies could build them elsewhere. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Monday for comment.
Much of the debate surrounding data centers is centered on their demands for electricity, water and land, as well as questions about who ultimately pays for the infrastructure needed to support them. Supporters argue the facilities can bring jobs, investment and economic development, while critics have raised concerns about strain on local resources and potentially higher utility costs. Those tensions have helped make data centers an increasingly prominent political issue.
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