AI and Data Centers Become a Midterm Issue in Brooklyn

At a Brooklyn election event five days before Election Day, conversations about attention and the Democratic Party kept returning to artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, according to TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis. The event came as opposition to data center projects grows in some communities.

A Data Center Watch report found that nearly $200 billion in data center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026 because of political and community opposition. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia are considering more rules and transparency for data center development. Hundreds of data centers are planned in Virginia, which is already nicknamed the “data center capital of the world.”

At the event, New York City Council member Chi Ossé called for greater accountability for technology executives. Davis moderated a panel with technology and human rights researcher Maia Woluchem and environmental and public health advocate Hilary Flint. The audience booed when Davis asked who supported AI data centers. Panelists said residents were concerned about opaque deals with local officials, zoning rules, community control, and environmental and health risks.

A later discussion about the Democratic Party also turned to data centers. Participants raised the jobs promised by projects, questions of local consent, and whether those jobs last after construction. The conversations reflected a widening divide between technology advocates and some residents as data centers and AI become issues in midterm politics. The article says they could influence some races on November 3.