Some US politicians and business leaders claim China is driving backlash to data centers, but experts say Chinese media is instead exploiting existing American divisions over AI infrastructure.

A Republican lawmaker called for legal action against US nonprofits he alleged are backed by China to oppose the AI buildout; Canadian millionaire Kevin O'Leary claimed "nefarious accounts" linked to Beijing were behind pushback to a data center project he is backing.

Experts told Semafor that the idea of foreign influence seeding a populist campaign against AI facilities is far-fetched, and that Chinese media is instead likely exploiting existing US divisions over the technology.

China's role in US tech discourse is growing as the superpowers' AI race intensifies.