Public trust in AI is collapsing even as usage keeps climbing, and the backlash is now hitting jobs, power bills, and local water supplies.

• Half the country uses AI, but only 16% think it will be good for society — the worst launch reception of any major technology.
• Young workers are getting hit hardest: entry-level jobs in software and customer support are down 13% since late 2022, and job postings for new graduates are down 35%.
• Companies that went "AI-first," like Duolingo and Klarna, are quietly walking it back after buggy code and worse customer service.
• Data centers are the flashpoint — they already eat 4% of US electricity and are set to push the average power bill up 8% by 2030, with Virginia hit far harder.
• Water fights are spreading, from a Meta site in Georgia blamed for ruined well water to Tucson's council voting down an Amazon-linked campus that got built outside city limits anyway.

Outlook: Local opposition has already blocked or delayed $64 billion in data-center projects, but with $5.2 trillion in spending planned by 2030, the buildout is expected to route around resistance rather than stop.