New Port Richey, Florida

Across the country, citizens are protesting AI data center expansion due to concerns about energy and water usage, leading some representatives, like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, to halt many proposals. The issue poses an existential challenge for major AI companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Anthropic. Industry leaders discussing the backlash have proposed various theories, ranging from a lack of understanding of simple math to foreign propaganda or Chinese psycho-operations.