Data centers forgot the consumer — and that could cost America the AI race

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News host Emily Compagno discusses the debate over AI data center construction on 'The Five.' Data centers have gone from a niche policy issue to one of the most controversial topics of the midterm elections. Fewer than 30% of Americans support a data center being built in their community and the reason why is simple; the industry forgot about consumers. Data centers didn't suddenly appear with artificial intelligence. They have long powered the internet, cloud computing, streaming, online shopping, banking and countless other services Americans use every day. But the emergence of AI changed their scale and visibility. Companies began proposing larger facilities with new demands for electricity, water and space, often in communities where residents had little idea what was coming until the project was already well underway. The industry had plent