'We don't need 50 more data centers': Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes declares war on AI over water shortage

From the Newshound archive · first published 26 October 2026.

Democrat Kris Mayes has broken ranks with fellow Democratic leaders who say AI hubs drive Arizona's high-tech ambitions. 'You can be a tech hub and not build data centers,' she insisted. The desert state wants to become a powerhouse for semiconductors, clean energy components and AI software. But Mayes says anyone living there knows 'we don't have the water for it'.

Mayes says the issue 'polls the way it polls' because locals understand the water risk.

Other Arizona officials now want to curb the state's soaring growth in data centres.