Cooling towers and backup generators cover the rooftop of a data center. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Rsparks3

A new survey by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs shows that 65% of likely voters in Texas believe artificial intelligence will do more harm to society than good.

This comes from the Hobby School’s newly released report “Texas Votes 2026 Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence,” which explores the views of the state’s likely voters on data centers and AI.

Among Texas voters’ top concerns are the potential effects of data centers on electricity prices and water supplies, along with the possibility that they could increase the frequency of power outages. More than two-thirds of those surveyed said they are extremely or very concerned about the massive computing centers’ resource consumption.

According to the survey, 79% of Texas voters support limiting the number of data centers that can be built in the state. A total of 99% say proposed data centers should cover the cost of electric-grid expansions needed to power the facilities.

The report also found a disconnect between Texas’ public officials, who have tended to rally around data center expansion, and voters, who are highly skeptical of AI expansion.

In response to the growing backlash and a tightening race against Democratic rival Gina Hinojosa, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued decrees pausing data center grid-connection approvals and directed the Texas Water Development Board to compel data centers to report their water usage until an audit of the projects is conducted.

That’s a departure from Abbott’s November 2025 declaration that Texas is “the epicenter of AI development.” What’s more, the governor has declined to call a special legislative session to address growing concerns about the expansion of data centers statewide.

Texas politics is a mess. We make it a readable mess.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...