Opposition to AI data centers is spreading beyond the US, with residents in Australia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia challenging projects near their homes. Goodman dropped a planned data center in Sydney that would have stood about 20 meters from homes after strong local opposition. More than 70 projects across Europe were rejected or restricted in early 2026, according to the European Data Centre Monitor. Data Center Watch found that local opposition blocked or delayed about 120 US projects worth nearly $200 billion in the first half of 2026. A Quinnipiac University poll on September 30 found that 72% of US adults oppose a local AI data center. Amazon responded with a $1 billion pledge for communities where Amazon builds and operates data centers. AWS CEO Matt Garman warned that local opposition threatens the country's lead in AI.