Tech Companies Blame China for 60% Data Center Backlash as Evidence Stays Thin
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Aug 21
Tech Companies Blame China for 60% Data Center Backlash as Evidence Stays Thin
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Aug 21
Summary
A supermajority of Americans now opposes data centers, and some pro-AI executives are blaming that backlash on a China-linked online influence campaign rather than local concerns over power use, costs and jobs.
OpenAI said in June that some China-linked accounts tried to use ChatGPT to generate anti-AI social posts, but the company also said it found no evidence those efforts changed public opinion.
Kevin O'Leary made a similar claim about opposition to his Utah data center, then later said he had no evidence and walked it back; Fox News also retracted the allegation.
Big Tech's response has largely been messaging and incentives — Meta recently offered a $1 billion fund for towns hosting its data centers — even as platforms tied to AI investors have cut trust-and-safety capacity.
The dispute underscores a broader industry refusal to accept that resistance may reflect genuine public sentiment, not just manipulation in the U.S.-China AI race.