Summary
- Build American AI announced it will invest millions in an advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin to support data center development.
- This initiative is backed by Leading the Future, a super PAC funded by notable figures such as Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
- Recent polling from the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that opposition to local data centers has surged to 61%, up from 49% earlier this year.
A group supported by wealthy individuals in the artificial intelligence sector is set to spend millions on advertisements across three critical states to promote the construction of data centers, as reported by Bloomberg on Monday.
Build American AI, which is funded by the super PAC Leading the Future, is launching its campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where the debate over data centers has become a focal point in state elections. The organization cautioned against allowing "the loudest and most extreme voices" to shape the nation's future. While it has not revealed specific budget figures, it confirmed that the spending would be in the millions.
Polling conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which surveyed 1,320 U.S. adults from June 16 to July 19, indicated that 61% of respondents were against new data centers in their communities, a significant increase from 49% in a February-March survey. Discontent is widespread, with majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%), and independents (53%) opposing the development.
According to a recent survey by @APPCPenn, opposition to local #AI data centers has sharply increased in just four months, with three out of five Americans against them. Many believe that the government has not done enough to regulate AI. https://t.co/TFEeJjr4rb pic.twitter.com/qpPBWyVKhL
— APPC Penn (@APPCPenn) August 11, 2026
General sentiment towards AI has remained relatively stable during this period, with 60% of heavy AI users expressing opposition compared to 64% among those who never use it. Matthew Levendusky from the policy center noted, "Even heavy AI users seem to be concerned about these very concrete worries."
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has cautioned AI firms that the growing backlash is becoming detrimental, especially in Ohio, where Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown has made this issue a cornerstone of his campaign against Republican Senator Jon Husted. Former U.S. President Donald Trump remarked on social media that communities opposing data centers risk becoming "backwards and poor," urging them to "let Data Reign," while suggesting that China is pleased with the backlash against these facilities.
States like New York have implemented a moratorium on large-scale data centers, while Texas has halted approvals for new projects. Cities from Austin to Jersey City have enacted bans, leading to Data Center Watch reporting that around 75 projects, valued at approximately $130 billion, have faced delays or cancellations in the first quarter of 2026, a situation that lenders are beginning to consider a credit risk.
Familiar Conflict
Experts have warned that the rising opposition could hinder the expansion of AI infrastructure, reminiscent of past challenges faced by Bitcoin miners. For instance, nine residents in Granbury, Texas, filed a lawsuit in May against MARA Holdings regarding noise from its mining operation, claiming it caused insomnia, headaches, and tinnitus, marking the latest in a series of lawsuits against the industry.
As some Bitcoin miners shift towards AI infrastructure, they may encounter similar challenges. These miners possess interconnection rights that can take years to secure, and are leasing these rights to AI labs instead of continuing Bitcoin mining operations. In July, TeraWulf signed a 20-year lease worth $19 billion with Anthropic for a 401-megawatt facility in Kentucky, while Hut 8 committed a Texas site for a $9.8 billion AI lease, and IREN secured a $3.4 billion cloud agreement with Nvidia.