Technology has already become a central topic in the 2026 US midterm elections, and AI data centers have become the target of the public. The controversy is not just about noise pollution and landscape perception. Under the AI boom, who can reap the dividends and who bears the costs. Public dissatisfaction continues to ferment, and data centers have become the focus of conflict. Tatishe Nteta, professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of the university's polling center, said, “This shows that tech giants and AI are becoming increasingly easy targets. The gap between the rich and the poor in America is approaching its peak in history, and both left-wing and right-wing groups are beginning to boycott the wealthy class.” This wave of opposition has even spawned a new group of candidates: a large number of civic activists mobilized over local data center disputes are running for public office. In the face of resistance from local people, Trump's statement made the situation even more difficult for the Republicans. Trump called the data center's planning and design “very beautiful” and the “cash cow” of the US economy. This statement did not help Republicans who wanted to respond to voters' concerns. Nteta said, “This is essentially a failure of AI companies' own propaganda. To reverse public opinion, they must explain more clearly and forcefully how the project can benefit the local community.”

Technology has already become a central topic in the 2026 US midterm elections, and AI data centers have become the target of the public. The controversy is not just about noise pollution and landscape perception. Under the AI boom, who can reap the dividends and who bears the costs. Public dissatisfaction continues to ferment, and data centers have become the focus of conflict. Tatishe Nteta, professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of the university's polling center, said, “This shows that tech giants and AI are becoming increasingly easy targets. The gap between the rich and the poor in America is approaching its peak in history, and both left-wing and right-wing groups are beginning to boycott the wealthy class.” This wave of opposition has even spawned a new group of candidates: a large number of civic activists mobilized over local data center disputes are running for public office. In the face of resistance from local people, Trump's statement made the situation even more difficult for the Republicans. Trump called the data center's planning and design “very beautiful” and the “cash cow” of the US economy. This statement did not help Republicans who wanted to respond to voters' concerns. Nteta said, “This is essentially a failure of AI companies' own propaganda. To reverse public opinion, they must explain more clearly and forcefully how the project can benefit the local community.”