New York's moratorium on large data centers, spearheaded by Gov. Kathy Hochul, highlights a growing political challenge for artificial intelligence: AI is increasingly losing public support, risking the squandering of America's technological advantages.
Public opposition to data centers has surged, with a recent Siena College poll indicating that New Yorkers favor a moratorium by a more than two-to-one margin. Nationally, opposition to data centers in local areas has climbed approximately 30 percentage points in less than a year, with seven in ten Americans now expressing disapproval. This trend suggests that further restrictions, such as punitive taxes or permitting refusals, could be on the horizon for AI development.
Despite these challenges, the foundation for a pro-AI majority exists. The key to building this coalition lies in recognizing that AI's impact does not neatly divide along partisan lines. Polling data suggests a natural base composed of young, tech-enthusiast voters and optimistic center-right Republicans, representing about 30% of the electorate. Adding college-educated suburbanites who are receptive to technology but currently lukewarm on AI specifically, brings this figure to around 42%.
The crucial swing bloc consists of younger, predominantly female voters who harbor skepticism towards AI but are not yet firmly opposed. Securing a portion of this demographic could establish a majority.
The strategy for cultivating a pro-AI majority should focus on persuading technological optimists who have not yet extended their enthusiasm to AI. This requires a narrative that moves beyond Silicon Valley's promotional efforts and actively counters opponents' doomsaying with a positive vision. The core of this narrative is that AI democratizes capability by spreading expertise downward.
Research consistently shows that AI tools disproportionately benefit less experienced workers. For instance, studies indicate that customer service agents using AI assistants can resolve 14% more issues per hour, with the most significant gains observed among the least experienced personnel. Similar patterns emerge in fields like writing, coding, and consulting, where those starting with fewer advantages experience the greatest boost.
This translates into tangible benefits: a contractor receiving legal assistance for payment disputes at a subscription cost, a small business owner having a round-the-clock bookkeeper, or an immigrant entrepreneur developing software that once demanded a fully funded engineering team. AI functions as a powerful tool for dismantling barriers to creation and innovation.
This approach, termed "diffusionism," prioritizes distributing AI capabilities as widely as possible, aiming not just for economic growth but for a broad dissemination of expertise. While current debates often center on who will profit from AI and how those profits should be redistributed, a society must first generate prosperity before it can redistribute it.
A diffusionist message appeals to different groups: it offers markets and initiative to conservatives, access and the dismantling of gatekeepers to the center-left, and a renewed sense of personal agency to younger voters.
However, the infrastructure for this diffusion—chips, electricity, and data centers—is also a source of political contention. Governor Hochul's moratorium, while politically potent in addressing grievances related to data center expansion, does not offer solutions such as increasing power generation, lowering utility costs, or creating jobs. Instead, it risks redirecting industry investment to other states.
A more constructive response would involve a compromise: requiring data centers to cover their energy costs, provide direct benefits to host communities, and expediting the development of necessary new energy infrastructure. The greater opportunity, however, lies in the political realm. As more politicians opt to campaign against AI, the first leader to advocate for its positive potential—for the benefit of contractors, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and for broader access to powerful tools—will likely find a receptive audience.
Governor Hochul's strategy appears to bet on public backlash as a path to electoral success. Yet, with her moratorium set to expire within a year, the political landscape surrounding AI's future will be shaped by those who actively build a pro-AI majority in the interim.