Americans’ views of the computer industry have fallen to their lowest level on record, a shift that comes as New York is moving aggressively to regulate the expansion of large artificial intelligence data centers over concerns about electricity costs, grid capacity and community impacts.
A new Gallup survey found 48% of Americans now view the computer industry positively, down 11 percentage points from last year and well below its 75% peak in 2017.
The computer sector posted the largest year-over-year decline among the 25 industries Gallup tracks annually. Positive views of electric and gas utilities also fell sharply, dropping seven points to 33%, while farming and agriculture declined six points to 54% and the oil and gas industry slipped five points to 30%.
Gallup said the decline in the computer industry’s standing comes amid broader weakening public sentiment toward large technology companies and growing opposition to AI data centers.
That connection is especially relevant in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul in July ordered a one-year statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers while the state develops new regulations governing their energy use, costs and effects on host communities.
New York puts data center expansion on pause
The moratorium applies to new hyperscale data centers and is intended to give state officials time to develop a regulatory framework governing how large facilities connect to the electric grid and how the costs of new infrastructure are distributed.
Hochul said when announcing the policy that New York wants to continue attracting artificial intelligence development without forcing residential and commercial customers to absorb higher utility costs associated with massive new power users.
The governor’s plan calls for large data centers to either generate their own electricity or pay higher rates to use the state grid. The administration is also developing a community investment framework intended to direct benefits from new data center development to municipalities hosting the facilities.
The executive action followed passage of the Responsible Data Center Development Act by both chambers of the state Legislature in June.
That legislation would impose a one-year permitting moratorium on large data centers with peak demand of more than 20 megawatts and require analysis of their effects on electricity, water, pollution and communities. It would also establish separate electric and water rate classifications for large data centers and require public hearings before certain projects receive permits.
State lawmakers backing the proposal have argued those provisions are necessary to prevent household customers from subsidizing infrastructure built primarily to serve large technology companies.
Data center debate reaches the Finger Lakes
The issue has also reached the Finger Lakes.
In Dresden, the owner of the Greenidge Generation power plant has been exploring a potential shift from cryptocurrency mining toward artificial intelligence computing infrastructure. FingerLakes1.com reported in August that the company’s restructuring plans include the possibility of developing AI data center operations at Dresden and other sites.
That proposal adds a regional dimension to a debate increasingly playing out across New York: whether communities should embrace the economic development associated with artificial intelligence infrastructure or impose stronger limits because of its power, water and infrastructure requirements.
Gallup’s findings do not measure New Yorkers specifically, and the survey does not establish that concerns about AI data centers caused the decline in the computer industry’s reputation. Gallup said data center opposition may help explain part of the broader shift in public attitudes toward technology companies.
Still, the timing puts the national trend alongside a major policy debate already underway in New York.
Utilities also lose ground
The poll also found declining perceptions of industries closely tied to household expenses.
Only 33% of Americans said they viewed electric and gas utilities positively, down from 40% last year and from a recent high of 50% in 2020.
Gallup said persistent inflation, negative views of the economy and financial pressure from energy costs may be contributing to weakening perceptions of utilities, oil and gas companies and agriculture.
Those concerns overlap with New York’s data center debate because the facilities can require enormous amounts of electricity. Sponsors of the state legislation have pointed to dozens of large data center projects seeking access to New York’s power system and have argued that added demand could require expensive generation and transmission investments.
Despite the declines, farming and agriculture remained the most positively viewed industry in Gallup’s survey at 54%, followed by restaurants at 51%. They were the only two sectors viewed positively by a majority of Americans.
The average positive rating across all 25 sectors was 36%, marking the sixth consecutive year it has remained below 40%.
For New York, the findings arrive as policymakers attempt to balance two competing priorities: positioning the state as a center for artificial intelligence development while preventing that growth from increasing costs or straining infrastructure for existing residents and businesses.
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