bipartisan support – A new poll finds 68% of Americans support a formal government review process for the most advanced AI models. The push for tighter rules lands as opposition to AI data centers grows in communities from Ohio to Georgia—where residents warn of higher costs and e
On June mornings when people in their neighborhoods can feel the pressure of industry moving in. the debate over artificial intelligence is no longer abstract. Residents in Ohio and Georgia say AI data centers threaten water supplies and raise health and utility costs—sentiments echoing far beyond their states.
Against that rising local resistance, a national appetite for stronger AI oversight is showing up in stark numbers. A new survey found bipartisan support for a government-backed “formal review process” for the most advanced AI models before they’re widely released.
The poll, conducted by the Washington-based AI Policy Institute (AIPI), found 68% of respondents support the government creating that review process. Support spans party lines: 64% of Republicans backed the idea, 76% of Democrats supported it, and 63% of independents were also in favor.
The timing matters. The survey arrives weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 2 directing AI developers to voluntarily submit their models to the federal government for review of potential security risks.
AIPI said the poll was conducted between June 10 and June 11, with 1,007 likely voters responding. The margin of error was ± 4.2%.
Disapproval of data centers is already a local reality
The push for AI review is meeting a separate but related fight: whether the infrastructure behind AI should be allowed to expand without limits in residential areas.
Gallup survey results released in May found 70% of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their communities. with more than half expressing “strong opposition.” Residents and advocates have pointed to a cluster of concerns. including massive energy and water consumption. electronic waste and noise pollution.
That level of resistance has led local governments to move first. Several cities and towns have passed moratoriums meant to keep data centers out of their communities.
Monterey Park, California, is believed to be the first city to implement a permanent ban through a ballot initiative. Voters there approved the ban on June 2. Statewide bans. however. have faced more obstacles. and lawmakers in multiple states—including North Carolina—have proposed stricter rules for data centers.
In Congress, a moratorium bid targets AI infrastructure itself
The political debate isn’t limited to oversight of AI models. In March, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act.
Sanders’ news release said the act would stop construction of AI infrastructure long enough to give the government time to mandate reviews of AI products. It would also provide the public with 50% ownership of the largest AI companies in the United States through a sovereign wealth fund.
Sanders said, “As a society, we can no longer sit back and allow a handful of Big Tech oligarchs to determine the future of this revolutionary technology with no democratic input.”
What ties the polling to the local fights is the same question Americans are asking from different angles: who decides, and how much say communities and the public get before AI—and the data centers powering it—moves closer to daily life.
AI regulation AIPI poll formal review process executive order June 2 data centers opposition Monterey Park ban Bernine Sanders Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act U.S. likely voters
So we’re just gonna “review” AI now? Cool cool.
I don’t get how a “review process” fixes people’s water or power bills. Feels like they’ll approve it anyway and the costs still hit residents.
Bipartisan poll means nothing to me. Those data centers are already ruining stuff in some places, and it’s always the same story: “voluntary” submit models then everyone acts surprised when problems show up.
Wait, I thought the president’s order was about stopping AI, not reviewing it before release? And 68% sounds made up like it’s only from big cities. Also if they’re worried about health costs, why are they even letting the centers expand in the first place? The article kind of trails off but I’m guessing they’re trying to cram this through Ohio and Georgia while people are mad about water.