According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. tech companies are seeking public support for data center construction through open days, job commitments, and large sums of money. In July, around a thousand residents in Georgia gathered, holding signs with slogans such as "I didn't vote for AI" and "Data can't be drunk," to attend an informational session on OpenAI's proposed data center—on-site there were also tacos and up to $71 million in programming learning credits, along with a commitment to invest $80 million in the community.

From Secrecy to "Incentive" Campaigns

Previously, the industry relied on fast-tracking, secret operations, and political connections to secure land, but now grassroots opposition is threatening the foundation of AI prosperity: multiple projects have been derailed, and political allies have withdrawn. Tech giants have fully shifted to a "fire-fighting" approach, adding job guarantees, investments in clean water, and promoting that data centers can reduce residents' tax burdens; Meta established a $1 billion community fund, and Zuckerberg wrote a 6,500-word article stating that the Hyperion project brought teachers in the area up to $50,000 in bonuses, and promised to achieve "water resource positive impact" by 2030.

Data centers have become the most prominent political issue: Gallup shows that 71% of Americans oppose building them locally, and the number of projects blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026 has reached a record high. New York State has temporarily banned large-scale construction, and Pennsylvania has imposed strict regulations. After the last election, Microsoft realized the issue was decisive and thus stopped signing community confidentiality agreements and introduced a package of commitments on power, water, jobs, and taxes; Amazon and others also signed the White House "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," taking on electricity costs without passing them on to consumers.

However, academia warns that there is a gap between public relations rhetoric and actual actions—one side says they are good neighbors, while the other opposes the suspension of construction laws. Microsoft's president Smith also admitted that without substantial promotional activities, the effect is limited, "people are smart and will find information themselves." Whether this "fire-fighting" effort will work still depends on whether the giants can implement their promises effectively in practice.