Meta warns that election backlash against data centers could make AI expansion harder

Meta President Dina Powell McCormick said at the WSJ Tech conference that Democratic midterm wins will make it harder for companies to build data centers, and that the industry has not done enough to explain the benefits of these investments. She said backlash against data centers is tied to how people feel about AI overall, and that Meta aims to demonstrate value to local communities through measures like paying for its own electricity and directing tax surpluses to teachers and first responders. Meta has data centers in 23 states, five planned at one gigawatt or more, and expects more project review going forward, while saying it receives daily calls to lease its compute.