Kevin O’Leary says he is scaling back a planned artificial intelligence data center campus in Utah following backlash from residents, activists, and state-level political pressure. Multiple outlets report that the proposal had been for a very large development on about 40,000 acres, but O’Leary now indicates he will remove a substantial portion of the site. Business Insider and The Hill say he agreed to shrink the project after comments and pressure from a top Utah lawmaker, with The Verge reporting he sent a letter to Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams. According to The Verge, O’Leary plans to remove 19,430 acres from the project, which would roughly halve the originally proposed size. Entrepreneur magazine reports O’Leary is also acknowledging earlier problems in how the project was rolled out, including concerns about transparency, and says the reduction reflects environmental and community concerns raised during protests. While some coverage notes O’Leary’s willingness to adjust the scale, Business Insider also includes his characterization of the opposition as “bumps in the road,” alongside his continued intent to pursue the development in a reduced form.