U.S. AI industry groups are raising alarms over what they describe as a coordinated social media campaign originating from foreign actors, including China-linked entities, aimed at stoking opposition to the construction of data centers crucial for America's AI sector. As the U.S. and China vie for dominance in artificial intelligence, resistance to data center projects threatens to hamper the industry's expansion plans.
Foreign Disinformation or Organic Backlash?
Pro-AI organizations, including the tech trade association NetChoice, allege they have tracked a surge in bot-driven social media posts opposing data centers, which they believe are being amplified by China and its proxies. 'Americans have AI anxiety for a variety of reasons, and that makes it particularly susceptible to disinformation about data centers,' said Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice. However, critics argue that the industry is using China as a scapegoat to deflect from genuine grassroots concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of data centers.
"I know for a fact [data center opposition] is organic. How? Because I talk to people, all over the country, searching for help to stop the industrialization of their communities," said Elena Schlossberg, an anti-data center activist from Northern Virginia.
Mounting Pressure on Data Center Projects
Social media posts originating from South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe have highlighted protests against projects like the Stratos Project, a planned 40,000-acre data center campus in Utah. Kevin O'Leary, a prominent investor backing the project, has accused China of spreading misinformation, even as he scales back the initiative due to public pressure. Meanwhile, polls show widespread opposition to data centers among Americans, with a May Gallup survey finding 71% opposed to construction in their communities. Critics cite concerns ranging from higher energy costs to environmental degradation.
Pro-AI groups are now urging Congress to investigate what they call a foreign-led effort to derail America's AI infrastructure buildout, emphasizing the strategic importance of maintaining U.S. technological supremacy against adversaries like China.