An American artificial intelligence startup is looking far beyond Silicon Valley for room to grow.
Together AI has struck a deal for data center capacity in Saudi Arabia, a move that underscores the fierce resistance to new data centers in the United States.
In a new agreement with Humain — the Saudi AI company backed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — San Francisco-based Together AI said it will gain access to 250 megawatts of data center power in Saudi Arabia.
That arrangement, according to Gizmodo, gives Together AI a way to keep expanding beyond the U.S. market, where public resistance has become a major obstacle.
Public opinion helps explain that pressure: A Gallup poll released in March found that 48% of Americans "strongly oppose" new data centers in their area, compared with 7% who "strongly favor" them.
Across the U.S., these projects have drawn backlash from communities concerned about electricity demand, water consumption, noise, and added pressure on local infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has been pushing to establish itself as a major center for AI. Humain CEO Tareq Amin said in a statement, "We are strengthening the region's position as a global hub for AI infrastructure, cloud capabilities, and next-generation AI services."
The kingdom has also been deepening its relationship with the United States. A White House statement said a May 2025 Trump administration agreement worth $600 billion included a Saudi commitment to spend $20 billion on new U.S. data centers.
Pointing to the squeeze in the domestic market, Together AI CEO and co-founder Vipul Prakash told the New York Times, "More and more, local communities don't want data centers in their backyards, and there are a lot of cancellations and moratoriums, so U.S. capacity is becoming even more constrained."
AI's growth is closely tied to the energy grid because training and running large models require enormous computing power, and that power depends on a steady electricity supply.
Additionally, data centers can consume huge amounts of energy and water, put upward pressure on power bills, create security risks, and intensify concerns about how the technology is deployed.
Humain's broader push includes partnerships with Amazon Web Services, xAI, Microsoft, and Applied Intuition.
Some analysts have cautioned that placing more AI infrastructure in a geopolitically tense region may introduce new vulnerabilities.
A Brookings report cited by Gizmodo warned that the risks could go beyond lost business: "The consequences could extend beyond commercial losses and may result in degrading U.S. technological advantage, accelerating rivals' capabilities—especially China—and potentially undermining the integrity of AI systems on which critical functions depend."
Companies are pursuing several strategies to ease the pressure.
To address the backlash, AI developers have highlighted potential job creation and said they are working to reduce water use, while governments and investors continue to back new facilities in places that are more receptive or better able to provide electricity.
Data centers can affect utility costs, local water supplies, land use, and grid reliability, even for residents who never directly interact with the AI tools being powered.
The broader challenge for policymakers and companies is finding ways to expand useful AI services without shifting the environmental and financial burdens onto nearby communities.
Together AI's move is part of a broader scramble for power, land, and local buy-in as AI infrastructure expands. Rising electricity demand, water strain, and community pushback are changing where companies build the data centers behind AI services.
• In the United States, AI data centers now consume about 6% of national electricity.
• Across the U.S., backlash over jobs, water, and electricity is hardening around AI expansion.
• Big Tech's $725 billion AI boom is outrunning the power grid through 2026.
These stories underscore how access to power is becoming almost as strategic as the chips themselves. They also help explain why resistance from local communities can send U.S. AI companies looking farther afield.
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