Federal law enforcement agencies are tracking what they describe as an emerging threat of “anti-tech extremism” as concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) continue to grow across the United States, according to internal government documents obtained by Wired.

The unpublished reports, reportedly originating from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and regional intelligence fusion centers, warn that widespread AI adoption could contribute to social unrest and, in some cases, violence directed at the technology sector.

One report from the New York Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau stated that widespread AI adoption may “fuel large-scale protests that devolve into civil unrest and anti-tech violent extremist activity,” particularly in major urban centers such as New York City.

Another report from a Western Pennsylvania fusion center, which coordinates intelligence sharing between federal, state and local authorities, warned that “adversarial actors, including state-sponsored entities, criminal groups, and extremists, such as homegrown violent extremists or environmental extremists, may target U.S. data centers.” 

The report added, “these actors could exploit the strategic importance of data centers to the U.S. economy, using them for activities like cryptocurrency mining or leveraging third-party entities, such as front companies, to gain access to U.S. data and infrastructure.” 

A report from the Northern Virginia Regional Intelligence Center warned that anti-government violent extremists have conducted pre-operational planning targeting data centers and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt government operations.

“The FBI investigates individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security,” the FBI told Wired when sought for comment.  

The warnings come as opposition to AI-related infrastructure projects continues to grow across the U.S. An NBC News survey found that 46% of registered U.S. voters hold negative views of the technology.

Much of the resistance has been driven by concerns over rising electricity costs, heavy water consumption, and around-the-clock noise generated by data center operations. 

Federal authorities have linked several recent violent incidents to opposition against AI and related infrastructure.

In April 2026, a man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The U.S. The Justice Department said investigators found a document titled “Your Last Warning” that detailed the suspect’s opposition to AI. The document included a list of AI executives he allegedly intended to target.

That same month, the home of Indianapolis City-County Council member Ron Gibson was struck by 13 bullets after he voiced support for a $500 million data center project.