As more and more AI data centers are being built across the United States, the backlash is starting to gather pace. Following the recent news that Amazon canceled plans to build four new facilities after a public outcry, a new website seeks to detail how sour public sentiment on the subject has turned. American Sentiment is operated by Prophecy Gov, an AI startup based in San Francisco, and it has turned 10,202 public comments at 417 local government meetings from 2026 into a scrollable collection of facts and figures that will give data center builders nightmares, revealing that more than 90% of public comments on data centers are negative.
- The data center cooling state of play
- The custom AI ASIC state of play
- America’s AI chip rules keep changing — and the rest of the world is paying the price
- GTC 2026: Ian Buck press Q&A transcript — VP of Hyperscale and HPC speaks out on shelving CPX and shipping LPU decode this year
- Demand for data center CPUs has surged, and AI agents are responsible
The website notes that, while public comments don't always match the country's true sentiment, it's clear that the discussion around data center buildouts has reached a "fever pitch" of late. That's something borne out by the data, which takes in 48 states and 417 local governments, with 906 public meetings tracked. 5% were negative, with just 7% saying positive things about the potential for a new data center being built in their backyard. 5% simply asked questions about the subject.
Source link







