57% of Americans say AI is bad for society, 72% reject local data centers
A new ABC/Ipsos poll reveals massive public backlash against AI, with young people leading the charge and voters demanding strict regulation.
Research · Source: MadRobot
What happened
Most Americans think artificial intelligence is a net negative. A new ABC News, Washington Post, and Ipsos poll of 2,545 adults found that 57 percent say AI is bad for society. The pessimism is intense. Only two percent think AI is extremely good, while 17 percent call it extremely bad.
The youngest Americans are the biggest skeptics. Among adults under 30, 65 percent say AI is bad for society. People see massive risks and very few rewards. Seventy-three percent see a high risk of AI hacking secure systems. Sixty-five percent expect massive job losses. One-third even fear human extinction. Meanwhile, only 13 percent think AI will create many new jobs.
This fear translates directly into infrastructure blockades. Two-thirds of Americans oppose building new data centers in the United States. That number jumps to 72 percent if the data center is in their own community. The opposition crosses all party lines and geographies, with 78 percent of rural Americans and 69 percent of city dwellers rejecting local facilities. Voters also want government intervention. Two-thirds say the federal government is failing to regulate AI, and two-thirds disapprove of how President Trump is handling the technology.
Key facts
- 57% — Americans who say AI is bad for society
- 65% — Americans under 30 who say AI is bad for society
- 72% — Americans who oppose building a data center in their own community
- 73% — Americans who see a high risk of AI hacking secure computer systems
- 13% — Americans who believe AI has a big chance of creating many new jobs
- 66% — Americans who say the federal government is not doing enough to regulate AI
Why it matters
The public is rejecting the tech industry narrative. Builders assume that making AI more capable will win people over. The opposite is happening. The generation that uses technology the most is the most afraid of it. But there is a massive contradiction in the data. While 57 percent say AI is bad for society, 50 percent say it is good for them personally. People will use your product to save time, but they still hate what your product represents.
The data center backlash is the immediate bottleneck for the entire industry. You cannot scale compute if you cannot build facilities. With massive majorities opposing local data centers, zoning battles will become brutal. Tech companies will face hostile town halls, delayed permits, and aggressive local politicians. The physical reality of AI is colliding with a public that wants nothing to do with it. Furthermore, 49 percent of Americans trust neither political party to handle AI. This massive trust deficit means politicians will score easy points by attacking tech companies.
For builders
Local zoning battles will block compute
Public opposition to data centers crosses all party lines. If you rely on cheap and abundant compute, expect delays and price hikes as infrastructure providers fight costly local regulatory battles.
Market personal utility over societal shifts
Half of Americans think AI is good for them personally, even if they hate it for society. Stop pitching grand visions of the future. Sell immediate and selfish benefits to the user.
Prepare for aggressive federal regulation
Two-thirds of voters think the government is too soft on AI. Politicians will respond to this massive voter anxiety. Expect heavy compliance costs and strict oversight rules to hit startups soon.
My take
Tech leaders live in a bubble where more compute equals progress. The real world completely disagrees. If you do not solve this massive trust deficit, voters will regulate this industry into the ground before we ever reach AGI.
Original reporting: MadRobot. This is my rewrite and opinion.