AI-backed group to deploy data center ads ahead of midterms

In a strategic move blending politics, technology advocacy, and public relations, Build American AI—a nonprofit organization backed by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jaan Tallinn, and Open Research co-founder Daniel Gross—has quietly launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign targeting voters in Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. The campaign, titled “Powering Progress,” seeks to frame data centers as vital engines of economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement, positioning them as indispensable to America’s future competitiveness. According to internal documents reviewed by OpenPress Supercomputing Intelligence, the group plans to deploy digital, radio, and local broadcast ads beginning in late September, timed to coincide with peak voter engagement periods in the lead-up to the November midterm elections. Funding sources include donations from Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm Andreessen co-founded, as well as contributions from unnamed tech executives and data center operators.

Build American AI’s campaign highlights the role of data centers in supporting AI development, cloud computing, and national security, while framing regulatory and zoning restrictions as threats to U.S. innovation leadership. The group has partnered with a Washington-based PR firm to craft messaging that emphasizes energy efficiency, local tax revenue, and green technology adoption. Notably, the initiative includes a dedicated microsite—buildamerican.ai—featuring infographics and videos that compare U.S. data center growth with that of China, positioning the U.S. as lagging behind in critical infrastructure. While the campaign avoids explicit partisan messaging, its framing aligns closely with industry-backed narratives that advocate for relaxed environmental and municipal oversight of hyperscale facilities.

The timing of the campaign is particularly significant given the accelerating political scrutiny of large-scale AI systems and their physical infrastructure. Earlier this year, U.S. Senators introduced the “Prepare for AI Act,” which would require data centers exceeding 50 megawatts to undergo federal climate and resilience reviews. Meanwhile, municipalities in Virginia, Iowa, and New Mexico have moved to impose moratoriums or stricter zoning rules on new data center construction due to concerns over water usage, energy consumption, and strain on local power grids. Build American AI’s response is to frame such regulations as “anti-growth and anti-competitive,” arguing that rapid deployment of data centers is essential to maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.

Industry analysts say the campaign underscores the growing convergence of AI advocacy and political lobbying, with data center operators and AI developers increasingly investing in narrative control. Major players like NVIDIA, which supplies AI accelerators to hyperscale data centers, and Equinix, a global data center REIT, have quietly supported similar industry coalitions in the past. But the involvement of Andreessen—whose firm has invested heavily in AI infrastructure through companies like Scale AI and Anthropic—adds a new level of visibility and financial weight to the effort. “This is not just a PR campaign,” said an executive at a leading data center developer who requested anonymity. “It’s a coordinated strategy to preempt regulation by shaping public opinion where decisions are made—not just in Congress, but in city halls and state capitals.”

The financial footprint of the initiative remains undisclosed, but tax filings and people familiar with the effort indicate that initial commitments exceed $15 million, with potential for expansion based on donor response. The campaign leverages microtargeting tools refined during recent political cycles, using voter data to tailor messages by region, with a focus on counties hosting large data center clusters. For instance, in Loudoun County, Virginia—the so-called “Data Center Alley”—ads will highlight tax revenue contributions and job creation, while in rural Georgia, messaging will emphasize broadband expansion and rural tech hubs.

Notably, Build American AI’s digital strategy includes partnerships with platforms like X and Meta, where promoted content will be optimized for engagement using AI-driven audience modeling. While the group denies direct coordination with political campaigns, its messaging mirrors themes promoted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Semiconductor Industry Association, both of which have lobbied aggressively for relaxed permitting and federal incentives for semiconductor and data center construction—including provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act.

This broader push reflects a growing recognition within the tech sector that public and political support for AI hinges not just on algorithmic performance, but on the perceived legitimacy of the physical systems that power it. From NVIDIA’s GPU clusters in Oregon to Google’s data centers in Oklahoma, the expansion of AI has become synonymous with the expansion of energy-intensive infrastructure. Yet public backlash is mounting: recent polling by Pew Research shows that 63% of Americans believe data centers consume too much energy, and 52% oppose new construction near residential areas. Build American AI’s response is to reframe the debate, positioning data centers not as environmental liabilities, but as national assets—akin to highways or power grids.

This narrative pivot comes as China accelerates its own data center buildout, with state-backed operators commissioning massive facilities in Inner Mongolia and Guizhou powered entirely by renewable energy. U.S. policymakers, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, have warned that without expanded domestic capacity, the country risks ceding leadership in AI to authoritarian regimes. “We’re not just building data centers,” said Daniel Gross, co-founder of Build American AI. “We’re building the foundation of American technological sovereignty.”

The campaign arrives at a pivotal moment for AI ethics and governance, where technical performance is increasingly inseparable from geopolitical and environmental considerations. With the 2024 elections approaching and AI regulation on the horizon, Build American AI’s initiative signals a new phase in tech’s engagement with democracy: not just as a driver of innovation, but as an active participant in shaping the public’s understanding of what innovation requires. As one senior policy advisor put it, “They’re not just selling data centers. They’re selling the idea that America must choose between progress and regulation—and that’s a false choice.”

Looking ahead, industry observers expect similar advocacy coalitions to emerge in Europe and Asia, as tech giants seek to influence regulatory frameworks globally. In the United States, the outcome of the midterms—and the subsequent regulatory agenda in 2025—could determine whether Build American AI’s campaign succeeds in normalizing expansive data center development or galvanizes opposition from environmental and local community groups. One thing is clear: in the era of AI, the data center has become more than infrastructure. It is a battleground for the soul of technological progress.