Build American AI

AI
2026-09-02 14:16:44

AI-funded advocacy group launches ad push in three states as opposition to local data centers reaches 61%

An advocacy group backed by artificial intelligence billionaires has begun a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin to defend data center development, according to Bloomberg. The group, Build American AI, is supported by the super PAC Leading the Future and says it wants to counter what it described as the country’s 「loudest and most extreme voices.」 The budget was not fully disclosed, beyond the statement that the effort is worth millions of dollars. The campaign comes as public resistance to local AI infrastructure rises. Annenberg Public Policy Center polling of 1,320 U.S. adults conducted between June 16 and July 19 found that 61% opposed new data centers in their area, up from 49% in a February-March survey. Opposition cut across party lines, with 69% of Democrats, 54% of Republicans and 53% of independents saying they were against nearby projects. Views on AI itself changed little over the same period. The backlash is now shaping politics and project finance. New York has a moratorium on hyperscale data centers, Texas has paused approvals, and several cities have imposed bans. Data Center Watch said 75 projects worth about $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026. Bloomberg also linked the fight to earlier conflicts around Bitcoin mining, as miners with hard-to-secure interconnection rights increasingly lease capacity to AI operators instead of mining BTC.

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AI-funded advocacy group launches ad push in three states as opposition to local data centers reaches 61%
Build American AI plans $50 million push for pro-data-center candidates in key states