Data centers have become a stand-in for broader anger at an AI future many Americans don't want but fear they'll have to pay for, according to new polling by a consulting firm that counsels leading AI labs and tech startups.
Why it matters: The findings by Milltown Partners, shared first with Axios, highlight how the public is still divided on data centers.
By the numbers: Nearly half of respondents support a temporary construction ban, while only 16% oppose one.
38% of respondents said they would support a data center being built near their home, while 34% would oppose it.
Between the lines: The split suggests many voters aren't categorically anti-data center, but they are wary of the pace and terms of the buildout.
A temporary moratorium could be a way to force companies and policymakers to answer questions about costs, water use and who benefits.
Zoom in: That's what happened in New Orleans earlier this year when City Council passed a one-year ban on data centers when news broke that MS Solar Grid Data was looking at building one in New Orleans East.
"We want to make it clear to all parties that until we figure out what the hell a data center is in the law ... data centers are not permitted," Council President JP Morrell said, according to the Gambit.
