Ah, the drama surrounding data centers and AI – it’s like a never-ending soap opera, folks! According to a CNN analysis, candidates across the country are embracing a growing backlash against artificial intelligence and the infrastructure required to power it. More than $31 million has been spent on political ads mentioning data centers so far this year, with over 8% of all campaign spending on broadcast TV going to data center or AI-related spots in just one month. That’s a significant spike from last year, when less than 1% of ads mentioned these topics.
It seems that the majority of these ads – a whopping 99% – are criticizing data centers, with candidates from both parties united in their opposition. In Michigan, a congressional hopeful filmed an ad from a farm field, claiming that a massive data center would “jack up our energy bills and ruin our home values.” Meanwhile, in suburban Missouri, both leading GOP candidates for a county executive seat spent their entire TV ad budgets vowing to stop data centers and accusing each other of being beholden to developers.
But it’s not just local elections where data centers are becoming a hot topic. In Ohio, the US Senate race between Democrat Sherrod Brown and GOP Sen. Jon Husted is heating up, with Brown’s campaign putting over $3.5 million behind three separate TV spots hammering Husted on data centers. Husted has tried to recalibrate, introducing the “Ratepayer Protection Act” to limit data centers’ impact on residential electric bills, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to sway voters.
As the midterms approach, it’s clear that data centers and AI are becoming a major issue for politicians. With big tech companies like Meta, Google, and Anthropic pouring millions into super PACs and nonprofits to support their data center projects, it’s a battle that’s only going to get more intense. But as Clifford Young, the chair of research firm Ipsos Public Affairs, notes, “It isn’t intrinsically a right or left issue… It’s a boogeyman for everyone. It plays into this underlying belief that the system is broken.”
In conclusion, the controversy surrounding data centers and AI is a complex issue that’s affecting politicians and voters alike. As the elections heat up, it’s likely that we’ll see even more drama and debate around this topic. And who knows, maybe someday we’ll have a presidential candidate who’s also a data center expert – now that would be something to see! With the current trend, it seems that data centers are becoming a defining issue in many elections, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
