Americans’ skepticism toward Big Tech is hardening as anxiety about artificial intelligence collides with anger over social media’s impact on children. A majority of U.S. adults now say they are more concerned than excited about AI’s spread, according to Pew, while opposition to the rapid buildout of power- and water-hungry data centers is emerging as a “sleeper issue” in midterm campaigns. Communities across multiple states are pushing back over utility costs, environmental strain and land use, delaying or blocking billions of dollars in projects.
The backlash extends to Silicon Valley’s standard-bearers. Confidence in AI chiefs at OpenAI and Anthropic is weak among younger adults, surveys show, even as the companies eye blockbuster IPOs that could mint new fortunes. Meta, meanwhile, agreed to a landmark settlement with state attorneys general over alleged harms to teens on Instagram and Facebook, committing to product changes and multibillion-dollar penalties.
Surveillance technology is drawing fire, too. Flock Safety’s license-plate readers face growing scrutiny from civil-liberties groups and local governments. The upshot: with trust eroding, tech giants face a more hostile regulatory climate and political headwinds, forcing them to pair growth ambitions with visible guardrails on safety, privacy and community impact.
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