From the Trump administration to Kevin O’Leary, there’s a new narrative that China is to blame for plummeting data center popularity
Billionaire investor Kevin O'Leary and former Trump administration officials are promoting a narrative that China is orchestrating a propaganda campaign to undermine public support for data center construction in the U.S. O'Leary claims to have observed coordinated online activity from foreign IP addresses, suggesting these efforts are linked to Chinese-backed organizations. While some researchers acknowledge foreign influence in environmental activism, they caution against using China as a convenient scapegoat for growing local opposition to data centers, which are often criticized for their significant energy consumption. AI
IMPACT Narratives blaming foreign actors for opposition to data center construction could impact AI infrastructure development and policy decisions.