Tech Boosters Lean on China Narrative as Data Center Opposition Surges
AI-generated image · US National Wire
While proponents of AI infrastructure point to foreign influence operations to explain rising public hostility, analysts say the pushback is largely homegrown.
Public opposition to data center construction is rising sharply, as Wired first reported, with as many as 75 percent of Americans now opposing such projects in their areas, an increase from 42 percent last year. This shift has led some politicians, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, to distance themselves from the infrastructure despite previous advocacy.
In response, some tech leaders and Republicans—including Donald Trump, who defended the infrastructure in a Truth Social post—have attributed this domestic malaise to Chinese influence. This narrative gained momentum in late August after X reported identifying 200 accounts linked to China that were spreading anti-data center talking points, a finding highlighted by Axios. Similarly, OpenAI reported in June that it banned a cluster of users linked to the Chinese government who were testing narratives against AI infrastructure.
However, evidence for a coordinated foreign campaign remains thin. OpenAI noted in its June report that the identified accounts were merely exploiting existing discontent. Additionally, X's report of 200 anti-data center accounts represented a small fraction of a larger 200,000-account bot farm.
Tyler Williams, vice president of intelligence at the social media analytics firm Graphika, told Wired that most of the opposition tracked online has been homegrown and that there is little evidence of significant foreign intervention. Blogger Andy Masley, whose work is funded by Coefficient Giving, also noted a lack of solid insider information regarding Chinese intervention, suggesting the narrative is a convenient tool for tech boosters.