Meta president Dina Powell McCormick warned at the WSJ Tech Conference that the recent Democratic wins in the midterm elections are likely to intensify opposition to data center construction. She emphasized that the tech industry has not effectively communicated the advantages that these massive infrastructure projects bring to local communities. This backlash is closely tied to broader public unease about artificial intelligence, as data centers are the tangible symbols of AI expansion that residents can see and resist.

Powell McCormick noted that communities are increasingly scrutinizing data center developments, demanding clear benefits such as local job creation, support for public services like education and emergency responders, and environmental responsibility. Meta has long engaged with these concerns by covering electricity costs, contributing tax revenues to local needs, securing bipartisan political backing, and maintaining a local workforce. Despite these efforts, the political landscape is now more hostile, making it harder to secure approvals for data centers needed to support AI growth.

The company’s data center footprint currently spans 23 states, with five planned projects—including a large-scale facility in Texas—that each require more than 1 gigawatt of power. Meta remains optimistic about its AI ambitions, particularly the expansion of its consumer AI agent Muse, which currently has 10 million users. However, the executive highlighted that even if some AI initiatives face challenges, investments in computing infrastructure will continue to hold value, as there is ongoing interest in leasing Meta’s excess compute capacity.

Dina Powell McCormick framed Meta’s long-term vision as a commitment to democratizing AI technology in a way that benefits all people fairly and transparently. She said Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is betting on “humans more than machines,” focusing on technology’s potential to address critical issues like cancer and education access. The company sees that winning community trust and showing tangible benefits from data centers are essential steps toward making this vision a reality, but political resistance post-election complicates these ambitions.