New research highlights a growing disconnect between widespread acceptance of AI and concerns about the infrastructure needed to support it
CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Americans have largely embraced artificial intelligence, but they remain conflicted about the local infrastructure needed to support it, according to a new study from Reach3 Insights. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans living in communities with existing or proposed data center developments say reducing pressure on local energy, water and infrastructure is more important than gaining access to faster, more advanced AI-powered digital services.
“Questions about AI infrastructure involve more than whether people support or oppose local data centers,” said Leigh Admirand, executive vice president at Reach3 Insights. “We designed this study to let people explain their views in their own words through conversational follow-up questions and video responses, alongside structured survey questions. That approach provided a deeper understanding of how people think about the tradeoffs between AI, local resources and community impacts.”
The study found broad acceptance of AI itself. Nine in 10 Americans (90%) say AI is here to stay, 81% say it helps them get things done faster and 59% have a positive view of the technology. Yet support changes when respondents consider the infrastructure required to power those services.
While 59% say data centers are necessary to support AI and other digital services, respondents also expressed concerns about their local impacts. The leading concerns include increased electricity demand that could raise utility bills (70%), pressure on local water resources (69%) and noise (53%). Nearly nine in 10 (89%) say companies should provide greater benefits to communities that host data centers.
Among the study’s other findings:
- Experience with AI is associated with more favorable views of data centers. AI users are substantially more likely than non-users to support local data center development (43% versus 12%) and to believe AI will have a positive impact on society (58% versus 6%).
- Support varies across generations. Millennials ages 25-44 report the highest AI adoption and the strongest support for local data center development, while Gen Z adults ages 18-24 report lower AI usage and are among the least supportive of local data centers.
- Many Americans associate data centers with AI, but fewer recognize the same infrastructure supports many everyday digital services. While 71% recognize AI requires data centers, fewer than half associate them with cloud storage (49%), social media (41%), streaming video (40%) or messaging (29%).
The research was conducted among U.S. adults living in ZIP codes with existing, proposed or anticipated hyperscale or AI data center developments. Participants completed an eight-minute conversational survey on the Rival Technologies platform that combined structured questions with AI-powered Smart Probing and text- and video-based open-ended responses.
View study results here: https://reach3insights.com/hubfs/AI-Infrastructure-Paradox.html
About Reach3 Insights
Reach3 Insights is an award-winning, full-service strategic insights consultancy helping leading brands uncover deeper truths and turn human understanding into business impact. Combining industry expertise with AI-driven conversational research methodologies, Reach3 captures the context, emotions and motivations behind consumer behavior for brands like Coca-Cola, Warner Bros. Discovery, PayPal, Samsung and Mars. Through agile research design and story-driven activation, Reach3 delivers richer, more authentic insights that inspire confident decisions and measurable growth. Part of Rival Group, Reach3 was recognized as a Top 5 most innovative full-service agency in Greenbook’s 2025 GRIT report. reach3insights.com
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SOURCE Reach3 Insights