Voters in the United States sent a message against the installation of data centers in their communities and the increase in the cost of living associated with these megastructures.
Of the 41 local plebiscites held in ten states during Tuesday's midterm elections (3), 40 ended with popular rejection of big tech projects.
The defeat of President Donald Trump's party, which lost its majorities in the House and Senate, was also influenced by the fear of the majority of American society regarding the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
A survey by TV channel NBC News with voters at the polls found that 57% believe that AI will do more harm to society than good and that 76% were against the construction of data centers in their communities.
In reaction to this new political reality, stock markets around the world are operating in decline, among other reasons, due to the decline in the securities of technology giants. Shares of the Nasdaq Composite, in the USA, registered a drop of 5.5% this Friday (6).
The executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), André Roncaglia, explained to Agência Brasil that the electoral result in the USA shook the political coalition that supports Trump and which counts big techs among its main allies.
"In the USA, states that had less regulation for data centers received much more investment. This generated a series of environmental impacts, with energy and water becoming more expensive. This increasingly mobilized a popular reaction", explained Roncaglia, who is an economist and professor at the University of Brasília (UnB).
One of the problems with these data center infrastructures, used to process AI data, is the high consumption of energy and water, which has increased the value of these inputs where the centers are installed.
In this context, Democratic candidates defended greater regulation of the sector, contradicting Trump's position, which rejects any rule that could inhibit investment.
Economist André Roncaglia added that the majority won by Democrats in the Chamber and Senate indicated to the financial market that the environment, until then without regulation for AI and data centers, must undergo changes.
"Whenever there is a change in perspective, the financial market adjusts. This was a correction that was already expected if there was this political change. Now, we will see an accommodation process based on regulatory arbitration in the sector", he explained.
The majority of local plebiscites on the installation of data centers came from population initiatives, through popular petitions. In 2026, American states have scheduled 50 plebiscites on the topic, with 41 held last Tuesday and three scheduled for next December.
Of the 47 already carried out, only one result was favorable to the development of data centers. Most of these plebiscites propose restrictions or prohibitions for data centers with demand equal to or greater than 25 megawatts, which indicates hyperscale centers.
The non-governmental organization Ballotpedia, which systematizes these results, shows high percentages of rejection of data centers, over 60%. In one of them, held in Ottawa, Kansas, the ban on building centers that use more than 25 megawatts of energy won with 72% of the votes.
The executive director of the Brazil Office Alliance, Paulo Abraão, highlighted that 56% of voters considered AI and data centers to be important or decisive factors when voting.
"The phenomenon is politically significant, because it crosses traditional party divisions. It is not simply a rejection of technology, but a demand for democratic control over its expansion", said the director of the organization, which connects Brazilian researchers working in the USA.
The expert highlights that the question that organizes the debate is: who will keep the profits from the technological revolution and who will pay its social and environmental costs?
“Artificial intelligence has definitely entered the American electoral agenda, and everything indicates that it will be a relevant topic in the 2028 presidential race. Part of this also stems from a critical erosion of the alliance between Trump and Musk in public opinion”, he concluded.
There is now an expectation that Democrats will present bills to regulate AI, with the aim of protecting consumers and imposing restrictions on the development of the technology.
“Top of the Democratic agenda on Day 1 needs to be a pause in the development of advanced AI, regulation of this out-of-control industry, and a ban on artificial superintelligence,” said Arizona congresswoman-elect Yassmin Ansari.
