Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Tuesday he will push for a moratorium on AI data center construction in an effort to “give democracy a chance to catch up” amid concerns about the “unregulated sprint” to develop the technology.
“AI and robotics are the most transformative technologies in the history of humanity and will have a profound impact on the lives of every man, woman and child in our country,” Sanders said in a video posted to social platform X.
“Needless to say, there is a whole lot about AI and robotics that needs to be discussed, needs to be analyzed,” he added. “But one thing is for sure, this process is moving very, very quickly, and we need to slow it down. We need all of our people, all of our people involved in determining the future of AI, and not just a handful of multibillionaires.”
The senator underscored concerns about the involvement of the world’s wealthiest people in developing AI, arguing they “want even more wealth and even more power” and are not thinking about how the technology will impact working families.
Sanders, who has regularly clashed with various tech giants, noted that several leading figures on AI have warned about projected impacts of the technology on workers, with some suggesting there could be significant job losses in the near future.
“If AI and robotics eliminate millions of jobs and create massive unemployment, how will people survive if they have no income?” Sanders said. “And I don’t want to break the bad news to you, although I know it won’t shock you, but very few members of Congress are seriously thinking about this.”
He also voiced concerns about the impacts of AI on children, who he argued are becoming more isolated and are relying on the technology for emotional support.
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Data centers have become a key factor in the AI boom, as tech firms seek to expand their computing power to develop new models. However, they have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, particularly over their expansive energy needs.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Tuesday they are investigating the ties between data center energy usage and rising consumer electricity bills, sending letters to several companies involved in the data center buildout.
They expressed concerns that the costs of this buildout are being passed onto consumers and argued that data centers should pay a “greater share of the costs upfront for future energy usage and updates to the electrical grid.”
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