在美国，焦虑感已从就业延伸到基础设施和资源消耗。伺服器机房的扩张引发了对土地使用和电费上涨的担忧，导致 19 个州考虑或颁布监管限制。左翼政治人物如 Bernie Sanders 和 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 已要求全国暂停数据中心的建设，而参议员 Elizabeth Warren 则提议对人工智慧公司直接征税。这个议题使民主党在务实派与民粹主义者之间产生分裂，同时也分裂了亲商的右翼，其中参议员 Josh Hawley 警告了政治后果。
这种反弹正在全球蔓延，例如南韩官员提议对晶片巨头 Samsung Electronics 和 SK Hynix 征收超额利润税。专家警告，选民动员可能会由重大安全漏洞或因失业和不平等造成的渐进式经济困境所触发。该技术的支持者面临挑战，因为经济破坏是即时的且影响到白领专业领域，而生产力的提升需要时间才能显现。从历史上看，政府在管理此类重大经济转型方面一直面临困难，这使得保护主义的民粹主义诉求变得越来越有吸引力。
The rapid pace of artificial intelligence development has generated significant public anxiety, with more than 70% of Americans believing it is progressing too fast and over 40% expressing distrust. This anxiety is poised to spark a political backlash, mobilizing populists who advocate for "human jobs first" policies, including AI taxes and sector bans. The primary fear centers on job displacement, particularly in advanced, knowledge-intensive economies, with Goldman Sachs estimating that 300 million (300,000,000) jobs globally could be exposed to automation over the coming decade.
In the United States, anxieties extend beyond employment to infrastructure and resource consumption. The expansion of server farms has raised concerns over land use and rising electricity costs, leading 19 states to consider or enact regulatory restrictions. Left-wing politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demanded a national moratorium on data center construction, while Senator Elizabeth Warren proposed direct taxes on AI companies. This issue splits Democrats between pragmatists and populists, and divides the pro-business right, where Senator Josh Hawley warned of political repercussions.
This backlash is spreading globally, illustrated by South Korean officials proposing excess profit taxes on semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Experts warn that voter mobilization could be triggered by a major security breach or gradual economic distress from job losses and inequality. Proponents of the technology face challenges because the economic disruption is immediate and impacts white-collar professions, whereas productivity gains take time to materialize. Historically, governments struggle to manage such major economic transitions, making protectionist populist appeals increasingly attractive.