No Data Centers in My Backyard

Data centers—the massive physical infrastructure powering AI applications—have sparked unexpected bipartisan backlash in communities across the U.S., with roughly 70% of both Democrats and Republicans opposing them. Author Jasmine Sun investigates why these facilities have become a rallying point for local activism, exploring whether opposition stems from genuine concerns about environmental impact, energy consumption, and water usage, or reflects broader anxieties about AI development and the "not in my backyard" phenomenon.