The US boom in data centres is beginning to generate a cost that technology companies have not previously had to factor in to such an extent: opposition from local communities.
On Saturday, opponents of the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure organised 142 protests across 42 states. The campaign was coordinated by the organisation HumansFirst. It is not known how many people took part in all the events, and some of the gatherings were small. More significant, however, is their geographical spread. Protests took place in both Republican Texas and Democratic California.
This suggests that the conflict does not follow traditional political divides. Its root cause lies primarily in the pace of investment and the way in which new projects are agreed with local residents.
Data centres are essential for training and running AI models, but they require large amounts of energy and, in some cases, water as well. They also require new utility connections, grid expansion and suitable sites. For technology companies, they are a key part of the infrastructure for growth. For local communities, they can mean greater pressure on resources, noise and an investment that does not always create many jobs once construction is complete.
It is precisely this discrepancy that fuels opposition. Residents are increasingly asking not only about the environmental impact, but also about tax breaks, investor accountability and the benefits that remain in the region. The industry argues that it is working with the authorities to minimise the negative effects of its projects. The problem is that trust in this process is low. According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey, only 14 per cent of Americans would support the construction of a data centre for AI companies in their neighbourhood.
This is a significant signal for Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. The region could attract further investment due to the growing demand for cloud services and AI. However, as the scale of projects increases, the criteria for assessing them will change.
Access to land and energy may no longer be enough. Process transparency, the resilience of the local grid, water consumption and the investor’s ability to demonstrate the specific benefits to the community will become increasingly important. The US dispute shows that AI infrastructure may develop faster than public acceptance of its construction.
