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As politicians struggle to grasp new dividing lines, fresh polling shows a majority of Oregonians across the political spectrum hold negative views on artificial intelligence and data centers and support restrictive policies to regulate them.
Those are among the key takeaways of a new study by Portland polling firm DHM Research, which sought to discern which AI and data center policies the public might support and what outcomes they expect from leaders. The study found AI and data centers are regarded with skepticism and worse by Oregonians across the state.
“We were trying to see what personal feelings might shape the debate in November,” DHM senior vice president John Horvick tells WW.
Voters were polled by DHM on five restrictive policies, and a majority of Oregonians supported all five.
Among the study’s findings:
- Seventy-one percent of Oregonians report negative feelings about data centers.
- Sixty-one percent of voters feel negatively about AI generally while 60% feel negatively about specific AI chatbots Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini.
- Most respondents (58%) support a temporary halt on new data center construction and oppose tax breaks to encourage data center development.
- A majority of respondents (86%) support requiring AI chatbots to verify a user’s age and block minors from certain features.
- A vast majority of voters (93%) support policies that would require companies to notify consumers when they’re talking to a chatbot rather than a person.
- A majority of 58% of respondents support requiring public schools to teach students about AI and how to use it. Those who have a positive impression of AI are much more supportive of these policies.
Between July 23 and 28, DHM polled 600 Oregon voters. The survey asked them to consider 10 sample policies and whether they supported the position and whether they thought Democrats or Republicans were more likely to take the position.
One trend observed in the study was voters tended to think their own party shared their view. For instance, 89% of Dems and 74% of GOP voters support banning the use of AI-generated images in political campaign advertising. But only 18% of Republican voters believed this was a position Democrats were more likely to take.
DHM’s results are in line with other recent polling that shows Americans souring on AI after several years of improving attitudes.
Though it is increasingly central to the economy, Americans report growing wariness with artificial intelligence and the data centers that power it. Concerns range from massive energy consumption to water table degradation to AI-fueled job loss. Many are bothered by generous tax breaks and other incentives meant to lure data centers, and a purported woeful return on investment.
In Oregon, communities around the state have begun to push their leaders to change their relationships with data centers. Last week, Gov. Tina Kotek terminated a proposed data center project in Salem. The shift in public attitude has been felt especially acutely in Hillsboro—epicenter of the state’s data center boom—where community members have crowded Hillsboro Civic Center to push for change. A moratorium on new construction, approved by the Hillsboro City Council, went into effect last week.
