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Cuban Says Data Center Backlash Is a Proxy for Anger at AI

June 26, 2026 at 13:51 EDT

Infra & Chips
Policy & Regulation

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban argued on June 25, 2026 that the spreading opposition to data center construction across the United States is becoming a "proxy" for resentment toward AI, fears of job loss and anger over concentrated wealth, and he urged AI companies to adopt a different PR strategy.

June 25, 2026 · AI Industry Backlash

"This Has Nothing To Do With Data Centers"

Mark Cuban warns that spreading opposition to AI data centers is really a proxy for public anger over AI, wealth concentration and job losses — urging LLM companies to tour affected towns and "put people first."

71%

of Americans oppose a data center in their own area (48% strongly)

projects blocked or delayed in 2025 — over $156B combined

$710B

projected North American hyperscaler buildout for 2026

Why Americans object

Share citing each concern (Gallup, May 2026)

50%

22%

20%

12%

Power & water impact

Quality of life

Costs & bills

Job loss / AI

The scale behind the backlash

A single facility can draw gigawatt-scale power — roughly the electricity of a million households under Meta's Prometheus plan.

1 home

≈ 1,000,000 homes

One data center vs. one household — the asymmetry that fuels resident anger over power, water and bills.

SUPPORTERS OF CUBAN

Industry's elitism toward locals is the core problem
Companies should publish environmental data and earn trust
Treat billions in local investment as a cost of doing business

THE CRITICS

Data centers are inherently resource-hungry nuisances
Opposition to AI itself runs deep — dialogue won't fix it
Doubt the promised "net employment gain"

Goldman Sachs estimates up to 9% of the workforce — about 15 million people — could be displaced during the AI transition, described as temporary with a long-term net gain.

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