Poll finds broad opposition to data centers and AI concern

A national poll found that 57% of U.S. adults view artificial intelligence as bad for society, while 66% oppose building new data centers in the country and 72% oppose one in their community. The survey also found broad support for stronger federal regulation of AI, reflecting public concern that cuts across party lines. The ABC News, Washington Post and Ipsos poll surveyed 2,545 U.S. adults online from October 9 to 13. It found that 42% consider AI good for society. The results measure respondents’ views, not the technology’s eventual effects. Two-thirds of respondents, 67%, said the federal government is not doing enough to regulate AI. That view was shared by 80% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 54% of Republicans. Only 22% said the government was doing about the right amount. Concerns about AI’s broader consequences coexist with a more mixed assessment of its personal value. Half of respondents said AI was good for them personally, compared with 49% who said it was bad for them. On potential risks, 65% said AI growth posed a high risk of eliminating many jobs, while 73% cited a high risk of AI hacking secure computer systems. These are public expectations, not...