Boos at Commencements, Shots Fired at Councilman's Home: An AI Backlash Emerges in American Society

Washington, 18th - As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly impacts people's lives in various ways, public perception of AI in American society is quickly deteriorating. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt bluntly stated that the only thing growing faster than the AI industry right now is probably Americans' negative sentiment towards it. The Wall Street Journal reported that when Schmidt spoke at the University of Arizona's commencement on May 15, claiming that the technological revolution brought by AI would be "larger, faster, and more profound than any previous change," he, like other speakers discussing AI at graduations, was met with boos from the audience. Polls in recent weeks have repeatedly shown that American respondents widely express concern about AI, a stark contrast to the tech industry's claims that "AI will be welcomed for improving people's lives." The public is unhappy about expanding data centers driving up energy prices, workers fear mass unemployment, and parents worry AI will disrupt education and harm their children's mental health. In recent months, this wave of AI anger has sparked protests and even sporadic violent incidents. A federal indictment shows that in April, a 20-year-old Texas man allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and made threats against OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters. Indianapolis City Councilor Ron Gibson, who approved a data center project, had his home shot at 13 times. "I never thought this would happen," Gibson said, stating that he found a note under his doormat that read "No Data Centers," followed by another note two days later that said "F--- you." Pollsters and historians say the speed at which public opinion on AI has soured is rare. Political analysts add that it's also rare for AI anxiety to quickly become a major political issue, shaking up some seemingly safe re-election campaigns and disrupting traditional partisan divides. A recent poll showed that only about 30% of Democratic supporters believe the US should push for AI innovation as quickly as possible, compared to about 50% of Republican supporters and a high of 77% among tech entrepreneurs. Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who has proposed legislation requiring new regulations for data centers and AI companies, said, "People just feel like they have nowhere to turn." Polling firm Blue Rose Research found that among 39 political issues studied over the past year, AI, while still lagging behind more prominent issues like the economy, immigration, and foreign policy, had the fastest-rising importance. While anti-AI sentiment can boost some election campaigns, it is creating a severe crisis for AI companies and data center developers. These companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to counter this backlash during the midterm elections. However, community organizations across the country continue to block data center projects. According to Data Center Watch, which tracks this trend, at least 48 projects worth about $156 billion were blocked or delayed by local opposition last year. Data from Heatmap shows that a record 20 projects were canceled in the first quarter of this year due to local backlash, with dozens more facing similar resistance. OpenAI's head of global affairs, Chris Lehane, said that doomsayers spreading worst-case scenarios, combined with long-standing dissatisfaction with social media companies and some negative media coverage, have exacerbated Americans' poor perception of AI. "If you keep talking about AI from a fear perspective, you're going to keep creating fear," Lehane said. He stated they are working to find solutions to issues like energy costs and child safety. "The whole industry needs to do a more thoughtful job of making the case for why we are good for the country and the world."