Americans are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of AI, new poll finds

A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago poll indicates that American concerns regarding the environmental impact of artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly increased over the past year. About 53% of Americans are "extremely" or "very" concerned about AI's environmental impacts, a rise from 41% the previous year, with Democrats showing the largest increase in concern.

The survey also highlights widespread worries about the local impacts of data centers, which power AI and cloud computing. Key concerns include electricity consumption and water usage, with 6 in 10 Americans supporting limits on new data center construction and two-thirds advocating for requirements that data centers use clean energy sources. Experts like Michael Greenstone of the University of Chicago and Erik Nordman of Michigan State University underscore the scale of infrastructure needed for data centers and the potential strain on local resources.

While data centers' overall water use is "nationally modest," a large campus can significantly impact smaller municipal areas, according to energy systems engineer Fengqi You from Cornell University. Data centers could account for 11.8% of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, per a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report. The article notes that while 87% of existing data centers are in urban areas, most new facilities are planned for rural areas, prompting concerns that decisions are made for companies rather than communities.

Despite these environmental concerns, some Americans acknowledge the benefits of data centers, particularly for technological advancement and job creation, with Republicans generally more likely to see these advantages. However, a significant portion of all political affiliations expresses wariness about the rapid data center boom and its potential negative consequences.