By Insider NJ | October 16, 2026

A plurality of residents are negative on AI’s impact on jobs and the environment, while opinion on daily life and education is more mixed

Most New Jerseyans say the costs of a data center outweigh the benefits, do not want one built in their area or the state and are mixed or negative about artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on education, jobs and the environment, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

This is despite how routine AI has become for residents, whether they are using it intentionally or encountering it as part of the technology they use every day.

Asked to weigh the jobs and tax revenue data centers could bring against their use of electricity and water and the prospect of higher utility bills, 55% of New Jerseyans say the costs outweigh the benefits, 11% say the benefits outweigh the costs, and 19% say costs and benefits are about equal. Sixteen percent are unsure.

New Jerseyans oppose data centers wherever they might be built in the state, though opposition eases somewhat as the proposed location moves farther from home.

Seventy-two percent are opposed to a data center being built in their town or city (54% “strongly,” 18% “somewhat”), while 21% are supportive (6% “strongly,” 15% “somewhat”).

Sixty-four percent are opposed to one in a neighboring county (42% “strongly,” 22% “somewhat”) and 26% are supportive (7% “strongly,” 19% “somewhat”).

Sixty-two percent are opposed to a data center being built in the state generally (39% “strongly,” 23% “somewhat”), versus 30% who are supportive (10% “strongly,” 20% “somewhat”).

“What stands out about data centers is that no group reaches majority support anywhere – not in their own town, not in a neighboring county, not in the state at large,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “The main difference across groups is how strongly they object, and the only place any group softens is when the project is far away from them.”

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