Data centers are unpopular — and a key motor of economic growth

The shifting political winds surrounding data centers could buffet the entire U.S. economy, reducing investment in artificial intelligence and slowing growth, according to Wall Street analysts.
The historic tide of money pouring into AI, from data centers and frontier models to state-of-the-art chips and networking gear, has boosted business investment and financial markets in recent years. Federal Reserve researchers recently estimated that spending on data centers, power facilities and other AI-related tech equipment accounted for roughly 20% of U.S. gross domestic product over the preceding year.
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