A new advertising campaign is taking the fight over AI data centers to three states where public opposition is growing. Build American AI, a nonprofit group, is launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin to promote its data center agenda.
The campaign arrives as more Americans say they do not want new data centers built near their homes. A survey from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 61 percent of US adults oppose new data centers in their backyards. That number is up 12 percent from a survey conducted in March.
Those figures give the advertising effort a clear challenge: Build American AI is promoting data centers at a moment when local resistance has become stronger. The campaign’s spending is described as being in the “millions of dollars” range, putting a large financial push behind the group’s message.
A campaign aimed at changing the conversation
Build American AI is not making a small, local appeal. Its campaign covers Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin, three states named as key locations for the group’s data center agenda. The ads are designed to promote that agenda as public debate over new facilities becomes more difficult.
The campaign’s timing matters because the Annenberg Public Policy Center survey shows a change since March. Opposition has not held steady; it has risen by 12 percent, reaching 61 percent of US adults who oppose new data centers in their backyards.
That creates a direct contrast between the group’s approach and the public mood captured by the survey. Build American AI is putting millions of dollars behind advertising, while a majority of adults in the survey say they oppose nearby data centers.
The campaign does not erase that opposition, but it shows how the debate is being fought. The question is no longer limited to whether data centers should be built. It also includes how groups supporting them will present their case to people who do not want one in their community.
Why the survey number matters
The 61 percent figure gives a simple measure of the challenge facing supporters of new data centers. More than half of US adults surveyed oppose having these facilities in their backyards, and the result is 12 percent higher than the March survey.
That increase makes the advertising campaign more than a routine promotion effort. Build American AI is entering a debate where resistance has grown, so its message will meet an audience that has become less accepting of nearby data center development.
The facts also point to a widening gap between national technology plans and local reactions. Build American AI is promoting a data center agenda across three states, while the survey records opposition among US adults to new facilities near their homes. The campaign will have to address that concern through its ads.
There is no quote attached to the campaign, and the available facts do not describe the ads’ wording or creative approach. What is clear is the scale: a nonprofit group is spending in the millions of dollars to promote data centers in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The campaign and survey now frame the issue in simple terms. Supporters are investing in persuasion, while public opposition has reached 61 percent and climbed since March. That makes the coming advertising push a visible test of whether a well-funded message can change the data center conversation.
The campaign information is dated Aug. 31, 2026, at 6:00 AM EDT. As Build American AI brings its message to the three states, the survey’s 61 percent opposition figure will remain the central measure of the challenge facing its data center agenda.
Based on
- Billionaires Pouring Money Into Ads About How AI Data Centers Are Actually Good — futurism.com
- AI Billionaire-Backed Group Launches Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Ad Campaign – Bloomberg — bloomberg.com
- Pro-AI group jumps into the data center fight with new ads aimed at reshaping public opinion — nbcnews.com
