Polls show voters concerned about AI advancement, data center construction

Recent polls indicate that U.S. voters are concerned about the advancement of artificial intelligence and the construction of data centers, according to reports from OSV News and The Catholic Sun. While economic issues remain the primary concern for voters ahead of the midterm elections, a Politico poll found that a plurality of American adults want to pause AI development regardless of political affiliation. That poll also noted a majority of respondents believe the technology poses a real risk of destroying humanity, with similar trends observed in Canada and Europe.

A New York Times/Siena poll showed that 61% of voters oppose building data centers to support AI, while only 34% support such construction. Despite these concerns, fewer than 1% of voters identified AI or data centers as the most important issue for their upcoming vote.