Opinion | Americans Want AI’s Benefits Without Costs

Jay Reed’s op-ed “Abandoned Land? Build a Data Center” (Oct. 2) correctly argues for placing data centers on unused land. The data-center conflict is a textbook public-goods problem, in which AI users have an incentive to free-ride. Most Americans want the shared benefits of AI but would prefer that others bear the local costs of data centers.

Fifty-two percent of U.S. workers use AI on the job, and 15% use it daily, according to Gallup. McKinsey & Company finds that nearly 90% of organizations use AI for at least one function. Verasight reports that AI adoption has grown roughly twice as fast as smartphone adoption did. If demand indicates value, Americans have spoken loudly. It’s no wonder that investment in AI data centers has exploded, with computing infrastructure reaching 1.5% of gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2026.

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