AI Backers Launch Multi-Million Dollar Ad Campaign in Key States Amidst Growing Data Center Opposition
An advocacy group funded by artificial intelligence billionaires is launching a multi-million dollar advertising campaign in three crucial battleground states to counter growing public opposition to data centers. The effort, spearheaded by the super PAC Leading the Future, will target Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where the issue has become a significant factor in statewide political races.
Build American AI, the group behind the campaign, issued a statement warning against allowing “the loudest and most extreme voices” to shape the nation’s technological future. While the exact budget remains undisclosed, the group confirmed it is in the millions of dollars.
The push comes as public sentiment appears to be shifting. Polling conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center between June 16 and July 19 revealed that 61% of 1,320 U.S. adults surveyed opposed new data centers in their local areas. This marks a significant increase from a February and March survey, where only 49% expressed similar concerns. Opposition was widespread across the political spectrum, with majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%), and independents (53%) voicing their disapproval.
Interestingly, overall views on artificial intelligence itself have remained relatively stable during the same period. However, concerns about data centers appear to be a distinct issue, with even heavy AI users expressing apprehension. “Even heavy AI users seem to be concerned about these very concrete worries,” noted Matthew Levendusky of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
The growing backlash has not gone unnoticed by political strategists. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has reportedly cautioned AI companies that the data center issue is becoming politically toxic. In Ohio, for instance, Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown has made opposition to data centers a central theme of his campaign against Republican Senator Jon Husted. President Donald Trump weighed in on Monday, suggesting that communities resisting data centers risk becoming “backwards and poor” and urging them to “let Data Reign,” while also implying that China would welcome the backlash.
The resistance is already having tangible effects on development. New York has implemented a moratorium on hyperscale data centers, Texas has temporarily halted approvals, and cities ranging from Austin to Jersey City have enacted outright bans. Data Center Watch reported that in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 75 projects worth approximately $130 billion were either blocked or delayed, a trend that lenders are beginning to factor into credit risk assessments.
Analysts have warned that this widespread opposition could significantly slow the buildout of AI infrastructure, a scenario that has played out previously with the cryptocurrency mining industry. In Granbury, Texas, nine residents filed a lawsuit in May against MARA Holdings over noise pollution from its Bitcoin mining site, citing issues such as insomnia, headaches, and tinnitus. This lawsuit is one in a series of legal challenges targeting the mining industry.
Some of these former Bitcoin miners are now pivoting to AI infrastructure, potentially facing similar hurdles. These companies often possess valuable interconnection rights, which can take years to secure, and are now leasing these to AI companies instead of using them for Bitcoin mining.
Examples of this shift include TeraWulf, which signed a 20-year, $19 billion lease with Anthropic in July for a 401-megawatt campus in Kentucky. Hut 8 has committed a Texas site to a $9.8 billion AI lease, and IREN has entered into a $3.4 billion cloud deal with Nvidia.
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