By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
You are listening to a new special from am1575news, Francia24 and Radio Centrale Milano, in podcasting and on the medium waves.
The results of the gubernatorial elections in the United States mark a turning point for the future of artificial intelligence. On one of the most crucial election days, Democratic candidates who had promised to curb the construction of data centers secured decisive victories in key states such as Texas, Georgia, and Ohio.
This wave of votes for the Democrats represents a heavy blow to the infrastructure agenda supported by President Donald Trump. The massive construction of computing complexes, fueled by tech giants, has sparked deep public discontent due to the environmental impact and the rising costs of electricity and water.
Many Republican candidates, while remaining loyal to their parties, began to distance themselves from Trump’s positions during the election campaign. The issue of controlling energy resources became so politically explosive that resistance to the construction of these centers united various political factions against the power of large technology companies.
The Democratic front and the end of tech expansion
In Texas, Gina Hinojosa ousted incumbent Governor Greg Abbott, promising an immediate block on the development of new data centers. Texas had until now been the preferred refuge for giants like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon, attracted by enormous tax incentives and an abundance of land and energy.
In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won by promising a temporary state-level pause. Georgia’s capital surpassed Northern Virginia as the primary construction hub for data centers in the United States, with nearly three gigawatts of infrastructure currently under construction.
Also in Ohio, Amy Acton’s victory marks a brake on expansion plans. The new governor promised a conditional freeze on new approvals, imposing strict criteria on water and energy use. These moves come in a context of strong public protest against the impact of technology centers on daily life.
Reactions from giants and market impacts
Citizen discontent is quantifiable: election polls indicate that fifty percent of voters considered the impact of data centers as a decisive factor in their vote. This popular opposition also led to the victory of several local popular initiatives aimed at directly blocking the construction of technological infrastructure in local communities.
While giants like Amazon and Meta prepare to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in 2026, new state laws could make these operations much more difficult. Political resistance comes just as the chip market, led by Nvidia, predicts that global spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure will reach colossal figures by 2030.
Governor Greg Abbott, despite initially promoting Texas as the epicenter of AI, was forced to temporarily suspend permits for an environmental audit. This change of course demonstrated how strong citizen pressure has become, pushing even Republican leaders to mediate with demands for environmental protection and energy costs.
Source: Financial Times
This is all for now. From the newsrooms of Nice and Paris, this is am1575news, Francia24 and Radio Centrale Milano.
Source: AudioVisione – AM 1575 News