Voters Deliver a Rebuke on AI and Data Centers

Democrats swept the U.S. midterm elections, with voters citing artificial intelligence as a major factor, as 57 percent of voters believed AI would harm society and 56 percent deemed it crucial to their vote. The results were seen as a referendum on AI and data centers. Tech billionaires spent over half a billion dollars backing Republicans, but candidates promising AI regulation and data center restrictions won key races, including in Texas, Georgia, and Ohio. Voters approved restrictions on data center construction in 40 of 41 local ballot measures across 10 states. The backlash targets data centers' impact on energy, water, and communities, with over 1,500 new facilities planned. Democrats may now push state-level AI regulations to the federal level, though experts warn the mandate extends beyond data centers to broader tech corporate power.