Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says data centers deserve the backlash they're getting: 'They basically dug their own grave'

The AI manufacture is reaping what it sows, arsenic acold arsenic Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is concerned.

Abbott said the crisp disapproval Americans are lobbing astatine AI information centers is well-earned during an question and reply connected ABC's "This Week" connected Sunday.

"They fundamentally dug their ain sedate for the problem that's been caused for them, and that's why they sewage the backlash they deserve," Abbott said.

Tech companies trust connected information centers to powerfulness their AI products, but their messaging astir them has fallen flat. All crossed the country, Americans are rallying to fight against AI information centers, which tin costs billions to build and span hundreds of acres. Many are concerned astir really the sprawling accommodation will impact the environment, inferior prices, h2o resources, and sound levels, to sanction a few. Some conscionable mostly don't for illustration AI.

Critics person crowded section readying meetings, created petitions, staged protests, and moreover taken ineligible action to extremity construction. Surveys conducted by The Pew Research Center and Gallup this twelvemonth said a ample chunk of Americans are opposed to surviving adjacent an AI information center.

"Seven successful 10 Americans reason constructing information centers for artificial intelligence successful their section area, including astir half, 48%, who are powerfully opposed," the Gallup study said.

That's a tricky reality for blimpish politicians for illustration Abbott, who must equilibrium the will of his voters and that of President Donald Trump up of the midterm elections. The Trump management has gone each successful connected AI, including accelerating national permitting and supporting the $500 cardinal Stargate Project, an eager scheme led by OpenAI and Oracle to build hyperscale information centers crossed the country.

Abbott was initially an ardent protagonist of AI information halfway projects successful Texas for their economical benefit. The elephantine server warehouses tin make jobs during building and supply taxation windfalls to section communities. However, Texans from Abilene to Sulphur Springs person taken difficult stances against them, forcing Abbott to alteration his tune.

Abbott has introduced new standards for AI information halfway projects successful Texas, including instructing the state's inferior committee and electrical grid usability to protect residents from infrastructure costs. He's besides suggested a prohibition connected information halfway developments successful agrarian Texas, and that projects must acquisition an audit earlier moving forward.

Abbott said earlier this period that his management had halted immoderate 1,800 AI information halfway projects successful the state.

During the ABC interview, Abbott shared a fewer theories astir why information centers are facing truthful overmuch resistance, including the velocity astatine which they are being built and brought online. The different is that information halfway developers aren't gaining section residents' support earlier pursuing projects.

"Gaining the support of group successful section communities is essential," Abbott said.