Opposition to AI in America, projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore canceled

So far the most heated debate has been seen in America. There, projects worth about Rs 10 lakh crore have been stuck due to protests against data centers against AI.

Technical experts have been worried from the beginning about the rapid progress being made in Artificial Intelligence (AI), but now even common people have started feeling uneasy about it.

The popularity of AI is declining in Western countries and it is increasingly becoming a political issue. Protests are also increasing in other parts of the world. After the huge increase in profits of chip manufacturing companies in South Korea, Samsung employees have threatened to strike, demanding a special bonus.

So far the most heated debate has been seen in America. There, projects worth about Rs 10 lakh crore have been stuck due to protests against data centers against AI. At the same time, about 40% of American voters want the use of AI to be banned in most industries. One reason for the opposition to AI is that the heads of AI companies have been warning for a long time that AI could eliminate millions of jobs or that a super-virus created by AI could become a threat to human civilization.

AI investment in the US is not limited to tech hubs. Companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle are investing Rs 70.85 lakh crore on future data centers in several states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It is estimated that between 2026 and 2030, Rs 283 lakh crore will be spent on AI data centers in the world. Due to this, the computing capacity of AI will increase manifold.

The power consumption of data centers in the US could almost five times that of 60 GW by the end of the decade from the current 12 GW. Protests are intensifying regarding this increasing energy need and environmental impact. Locals are raising questions about noise from data centers’ generators and cooling systems, new transmission towers, potential water pollution and rising power pressures. Many surveys suggest that many US areas will see more data centers than nuclear plants in the future. This is the reason why in the elections to be held in November, voters are asking the candidates for the post of Governor about their stand on this issue. Experts believe that this protest is still in its initial stages.

AI currently ranks low on major election issues in the US, but the growing debate over data centers suggests it could become a major political and social issue in the years to come. Many Americans are considering installing a nuclear reactor instead of a data center in their area as a better option. The environmental and social questions associated with data centers are not entirely unfounded. Many AI industry leaders have long warned of the dangers to jobs and potential risks of artificial intelligence. Protesters believe they are protecting the environment, jobs and human interests. However, experts also warn that excessive opposition could harm technological progress. AI has huge potential for increasing productivity, developing new medicines and treatments, improving education and green technology. If Western countries limit AI infrastructure under the pressure of public opposition, it could weaken technological leadership, cyber security and strategic edge, which could benefit competing countries like China.

Values ​​of AI models are different from humans

The Economist has conducted a research on the thinking of AI models. OpenAI’s ChatGPT models are more secular than any other country on earth. Google’s Gemini models value personal freedom more than the people of any other country. Neither model reflects the views of most African and Muslim countries on world affairs. Actually, AI makes its thinking based on the data fed in its training. Models trained on Chinese data reflect the views of the Chinese government.

Twenty projects canceled in the first three months of this year

AI projects have been impacted by public opposition. Rs 3.96 lakh crore with potential utilization of 3.5 GW of power in the first three months of 2026. Twenty data center projects have been cancelled. In the last three years, projects worth more than Rs 8 lakh crore, including the proposed small centers of Amazon and Meta, have been cancelled. Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa are protesting Google’s project there. Several cities in Michigan have opposed data centers.

Increasing focus on these 4 points will reduce opposition

To maintain the advance of AI, politicians and AI companies of western countries will have to pay special attention to four points.

1. People should feel that they also have a stake in the progress of AI.

2. Measures are necessary to prevent cyber attacks, biological terrorism and other harms from AI.

3. Suggestions to remove misconceptions about job loss, increasing electricity bills and excessive water usage in data centres.

4. AI should be used to improve the working conditions of government.

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