University of Michigan School of Information

Can tech companies win over communities skeptical of AI data centers?

Quoted by The Wall Street Journal. Assistant Professor Ben Green. Inside Big Tech's Frantic Race to Quell the Growing Backlash to AI.

Friday, 08/21/2026

Last Updated: Friday, 08/21/2026

By Noor Hindi

As tech companies spend billions of dollars building the infrastructure to power artificial intelligence, they’re also spending time and money trying to convince local communities that massive data centers can be good neighbors. 

But University of Michigan School of Information assistant professor Ben Green tells The Wall Street Journal there’s a disconnect between what data centers are promising and their willingness to follow regulations. 

“They’re saying on the one hand, ‘Oh, we want to be a good neighbor. We want to support the community,” Green says.  “On the other hand, they’re fighting back against moratorium bills and other regulations.”

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Read “Inside Big Tech’s Frantic Race to Quell the Growing Backlash to AI” at The Wall Street Journal. 

Learn more about UMSI assistant professor Ben Green by visiting his UMSI faculty profile. 

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Ben Green wearing a red t-shirt with a blue overshirt, standing in front of fall foliage.
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Ben Green

Assistant Professor of Information, School of Information and Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy