NYT/Siena Poll: 61% of US Voters Oppose New AI Data Centers, GOP Edges Dems 42-40 on AI Trust

A new NYT/Siena survey ahead of the 2026 midterms finds 42% of US voters trust the GOP to handle AI versus 40% for Democrats, inside the poll's margin of error, while 61% oppose new AI data-center construction in their area. Fewer than 1% of respondents named AI as their top voting issue, suggesting the topic still trails economy and immigration in salience even as data-center siting fights and worker-displacement worries drive bipartisan skepticism.