Meta says election backlash could complicate data center plans

Speaking Wednesday at the WSJ Tech conference, Powell McCormick said data centers have become a visible target for people uneasy about AI. Meta believes it can improve public sentiment by showing communities what the facilities provide and demonstrating the value of the technology itself.

She cited potential applications such as cancer treatment and education, and said CEO Mark Zuckerberg is “very ‘long human’” and believes in people more than machines. Meta’s stated goal, she said, is to make AI accessible fairly and transparently so people are not left behind.

Powell McCormick said Meta has built data centers for 20 years and operates facilities in 23 states. Five planned projects, including one in Texas, are designed for one gigawatt or more. She said political campaigns opposing data centers could put some investments at risk, and predicted more scrutiny of projects and whether local residents support them.

For community deals, Meta’s approach includes paying for its own electricity, directing tax surpluses generated by facilities to teachers and first responders, hiring locally and securing bipartisan support, she said. Communities want projects to bring them benefits, she added.

Meta is also betting on its AI agent Muse, which has 10 million users, growing to serve billions. Powell McCormick said the company sees other ways to earn from its computing capacity: “We’re getting calls every day to lease that compute [we’ve built], and so one way or another, we’re seeing a path to monetization.”