A new Abacus Data poll shows that while 57 % of Canadians fear the country will fall behind the U.S. and China without more AI data centres.
But only 16 % would actually support one in their own town—highlighting a stark gap between national ambition and local acceptance.
The findings cluster around three friction points: perceived job losses, higher electricity prices, and environmental worries, with two thirds of respondents rejecting government subsidies for these facilities.
For sovereign leaders, the lesson is clear: scale up AI infrastructure only when it can be anchored in transparent community contracts that deliver concrete economic and sustainability benefits.
Embedding low‑water cooling designs, renewable‑energy offsets, and locally guaranteed employment transforms a potential NIMBY obstacle into a strategic differentiator on the global AI race.
How will your community balance the drive for AI leadership with the need for social licence to operate?
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