Verb CEO Cyrus Beschloss says many people who publicly criticize artificial intelligence and the data centers behind it still rely on AI tools in their daily lives. As adoption grows, the debate over energy use, jobs and the environment is increasingly shaping corporate investment and local infrastructure decisions.
Speaking Wednesday at a business event focused on the U.S. midterm elections, Beschloss said people who oppose data centers and AI in general also use AI. If the choice came down to shutting data centers or giving up ChatGPT, he argued, it would be a difficult decision. “People are going to face a very important crossroads,” he said.
Verb lets users set a price for their data
Verb operates a data marketplace where users can choose to sell their proprietary information and set the minimum price they are willing to accept. AI companies seeking data can then decide whether to buy it. The model aims to make data used to train and run AI systems an asset that users can control and earn money from.
Verb says its platform data shows that most queries from AI-assistant users relate to education, writing, business activity and side hustles. That points to AI being used in everyday work and income-generating activities, not just for experimentation or entertainment.
Data centers bring the debate into local communities
Since ChatGPT launched in 2022, AI has rapidly entered the mainstream. Meta, Google and other technology companies continue to invest in models and infrastructure, seeking to expand AI applications into areas such as healthcare and office work. Critics, meanwhile, raise concerns about job displacement, energy consumption, the use of copyrighted material without permission and broader social risks.
Data centers are the most visible physical focus of these disputes. Supporters say new facilities can create jobs, stimulate local economies and strengthen critical technology infrastructure. Opponents worry they will strain power grids, raise utility costs, harm the environment and disrupt nearby communities.
Gallup poll finds broad opposition to nearby data centers
A Gallup poll published in May found that 70% of U.S. respondents opposed building a data center near their home. The result underscores that AI companies’ capital spending depends not only on demand for chips, models and software, but also on power availability, land use and community acceptance.
Large-scale AI infrastructure plans are also moving ahead in the United States. Stargate, backed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, launched in 2025 with plans to invest $500 billion in related infrastructure. For Verb, a growing base of AI users could expand demand for data transactions. But questions over data sourcing, individual control, energy consumption and data-center siting remain concrete challenges for the industry as it grows.