Axios Portland
May 21, 2026
1 big thing: 😡 AI angst
If AI were a candidate for political office, it would be losing in a landslide.
Why it matters: The AI hype cycle would have you believe the technology is inevitable. But AI backlash is growing, as people worry it will steal their jobs, jack up electricity rates and further enrich the wealthy, all while hurting the environment.
Case in point: Oregon lawmakers earlier this year approved a one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers — key infrastructure needed for the AI boom — amid concerns about how much power the centers could consume.
- Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace said the city would stop extending tax breaks to data centers after a flurry of companies sought approval from the city that would extend into the 2050s before the moratorium went into effect, per the Oregonian.
Zoom out: In Florida, a commencement address went viral this month after real estate executive Gloria Caulfield said "artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution," sparking a chorus of boos from the crowd.
- The speaker could have avoided the jeers had she checked the latest polls: Only 18% of young people ages 14 to 29 say they feel hopeful about AI, according to a recent Gallup survey.
The disdain spans generations and political parties.
- An Economist/YouGov poll released this week showed over 70% of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly, with 68% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats saying it's moving too fast.
- Other YouGov polling shows negative views of AI rising from 34% three years ago to just over 50% now.
- Axios Portland reader Revel L. told us "due to the ethical issues with stolen content, the detriment to the planet, the costs to everyone in energy, the toll it takes on the brain, and the amount of time that it's absolutely dangerously wrong, I do not and will not use generative AI."
Between the lines: AI executives aren't doing much to quell the backlash, which is already showing signs of slowing the industry. Some of them appear unfazed — or unaware.
- In previous conversations with Axios, AI executives at multiple frontier AI labs were surprised by the negative opinions. They see AI as just as inevitable as the rise of the internet.
2. 😵💫 Holiday travel havoc
Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer travel season — and roughly 620,000 Oregonians are heading out of town starting today, according to AAA.
🚗 The majority of travelers (about 505,000) will drive to their destinations, with Bend, Seaside, Boise, Idaho, and Anaheim, California, at the top of the list.
- For Portlanders headed south on I-5, expect traffic to be 34% worse than usual tomorrow around 6:15pm. Drivers looking to get back to the city via I-84 west on Monday at 6:30pm will see a 39% increase in travel time.
✈️ Despite higher fuel prices, traveling by car "is still more affordable than flying or taking a cruise," spokesperson Marie Dodds of AAA Oregon/Idaho said.
- 68,000 Oregonians will fly to their Memorial Day destinations, while 47,000 will take other modes, including bus, train or cruise, per AAA.
- The Port of Portland, which operates the area's international airport, anticipates Friday will be the busiest travel day, with 63,000 passengers going through security checkpoints.
- Overall, the airport expects to see a 2.6% increase in travelers compared to last year, according to officials.
🎡 For those sticking around, the annual Rose Festival down on the waterfront and Multnomah County Fair held at Oaks Park both kick off this weekend.
3. Rose City Rundown
Axios Portland
