Data centers are universally hated. It’s these people's job to change your mind.

Key Points:

• Data centers in the U.S. are facing unprecedented public opposition, with over 840 anti–data center groups and numerous state bans emerging due to concerns over water usage, noise, energy consumption, and secrecy in development practices.
• The rise of A.I. has led to larger, more intrusive data centers closer to residential areas, fueling fears related to environmental impact and broader anxieties about technological change, which has galvanized bipartisan resistance among communities.
• In response, a new industry of specialized public relations firms has emerged to help data center companies navigate community opposition through early engagement, coalition-building, and strategic communication, although success remains limited amid widespread distrust.
• PR strategies include targeting communities more amenable to development, leveraging local influencers, and reframing data centers as essential for economic growth and innovation, while addressing environmental concerns through proposed regulations and efficiency improvements.
• Despite these efforts, the data center backlash is intensifying, influencing political campaigns and legislation, and industry experts predict the conflict will worsen before any resolution, reflecting deep societal unease with A.I. and its infrastructure.