Foreign adversaries have increasingly sought to exploit growing domestic opposition in the United States to the construction of data centers that support artificial intelligence (AI) development, according to recent analyses by cybersecurity firms and government officials. China, Russia, and Iran have been identified as key actors using state media and covert influence operations to amplify concerns surrounding data centers, particularly focusing on their environmental impact and economic costs.

This disinformation campaign involves various tactics, including the publication of satellite images and propaganda designed to appear as domestic journalism. For example, a Chinese state-owned newspaper recently released an English-language article featuring a data center in Virginia, warning that AI advancements could threaten Americans' physical and financial well-being. Additionally, a comic strip created by individuals in China using OpenAI’s ChatGPT portrayed data centers as drivers of soaring electricity costs, distributed on the social media platform X. Russia has also employed covert operations, releasing videos that question the operational viability of a data center being built by an American firm in Armenia, citing concerns over the country’s unstable electrical grid.

These efforts coincide with rising skepticism among Americans toward data centers. A Gallup poll from May indicated that 71 percent of respondents were at least somewhat opposed to new data center construction near their homes, a sentiment substantially higher than opposition to nuclear power plants. Opponents cite worries about environmental effects, job displacement due to AI, and neighborhood disruptions caused by data center noise and appearance. Some local governments have responded with moratoriums on new facility construction.

Washington policymakers have expressed concern that foreign influence campaigns are strategically designed to deepen societal divisions and hinder the United States’ leadership in AI technology. Jessica Brandt, a former intelligence official, emphasized that while these foreign actors are not generating the debates, they seek to exploit preexisting domestic discord. Republican lawmakers have particularly highlighted China’s role in these operations, framing them as attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to undercut American technological competitiveness. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas stated publicly that the United States should resist foreign efforts to leverage public fears for geopolitical advantage.

At the same time, critics argue that some opposition to data centers arises from genuine local and environmental concerns. Progressives and conservatives alike have voiced apprehensions, reflecting the broad-based nature of the issue. Prominent American critics, such as commentator Tucker Carlson, have been cited in foreign media to bolster narratives against data centers.

Efforts to influence American public opinion use a mix of official news outlets, covert social media accounts, and artificial intelligence–generated content. For instance, the cybersecurity firm Alethea tracked a cluster of inauthentic Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to Bangladesh that posted AI-generated images expressing rural opposition to data centers. These posts tap into local grievances and broader anxieties about foreign influence, taxes, and fears over America’s economic future.

The Chinese government has denied allegations of orchestrating influence campaigns, accusing the United States of similar activities inside China and calling for cooperation on AI governance. Meanwhile, some advocacy groups caution that transparency is necessary, pointing to evidence of an “inorganic” element exacerbating opposition alongside legitimate concerns.

Overall, while the impact of foreign influence operations on public sentiment remains unclear, U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that these campaigns represent a continuation of a broader pattern of attempts by adversarial states to exploit contentious domestic issues for strategic gain.