We Used AI to Find Out Just How Much Americans Hate AI

Backlash to Flock Safety cameras, the threat of artificial intelligence and the proliferation of new data centers is bringing together some strange bedfellows on TikTok. From pickup-truck aficionados plotting Flock-camera evasion to true-crime creators warning about a near-future surveillance state, disapproval of AI has united people who otherwise have little in common—and is spreading across the platform even among communities that typically steer clear of political topics.

Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans are now running political ads attacking AI and data centers. President Trump said in August that communities that didn’t embrace data centers would “end up being backwards and poor.”

We used our in-house AI tool to dig in, sifting through more than four million TikToks posted on the platform between Aug. 1 and Sept. 20 and thousands of hours of political podcasts.

Here’s what we found.

Opposition to Flock, the AI-powered surveillance startup whose cameras scan billions of license plates each month, sat at the top of the list of positions that unite creators who are otherwise at odds. Those who posted against the cameras disagreed on other issues, like Trump’s immigration policy or the war in Iran, about 12% of the time—triple the typical rate across all political positions. Their objections centered on privacy and civil liberties, as well as fears the technology could be misused, the analysis found.

We also found disapproval of Flock circulating in otherwise apolitical communities on TikTok, like those primarily devoted to cars and pop culture.

The Wall Street Journal’s online map appears to match what is happening offline. In recent weeks, progressive Asheville, N.C., and Trump-country Oconee County, S.C., voted days apart to pull their Flock cameras. More than 100 towns, red and blue, have paused or ended their contracts with the company this year. Other municipalities have opted to regulate the technology while keeping it in place.

“Flock’s technology is an important public-safety tool for law-enforcement agencies across America, helping officers solve serious crimes and find missing people,” said Courtney Terlecki, a spokeswoman for the company. “We support thoughtful, bipartisan legislation that puts strong privacy, transparency and accountability guardrails in place while preserving law enforcement’s ability to use technology responsibly to keep people safe.”

Antipathy to the AI build-out is widespread, our analysis found. In addition to uniting creators who often disagreed, dislike of data centers and AI traveled into corners of TikTok that rarely touch politics.

The backlash to AI, and data centers in particular, stems from worries including rising utility bills, heavy water usage, noise and overall strain on local infrastructure and the environment, our analysis showed.

Political podcasters also can’t stop talking about AI. Hourly mentions of AI more than doubled from August to September on both left- and right-leaning shows, a Journal analysis of more than 200 shows found.

Ahead of the midterms, the growing public skepticism of AI has turned into a liability for candidates on both sides. A Journal poll this week found that 63% of Americans support a pause in the development of AI technology.

In Texas, Democratic candidate for governor Gina Hinojosa has hammered Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on data centers and Flock cameras. Abbott, who previously declared Texas the “epicenter of AI development,” has now halted approvals for new data centers and ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras.

Some candidates say shifting public sentiment has given them an opening with voters who traditionally wouldn’t have engaged with them. Hinojosa said the issue “creates opportunity for my campaign,” as she has traveled to rural deep-red parts of the state to meet voters affected by AI development.

In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 presidential candidate who previously embraced AI, has also faced pressure from his opponent on the issue in his re-election campaign. He recently signed an executive order tightening state rules for data-center development and has said he would welcome a statewide ban on Flock cameras.