The surge in new US data center projects has sparked backlash over AI infrastructure. Two leading politicians propose a ban on new centers with peak power loads over 20 megawatts.
Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are introducing legislation in their chambers to stop these projects until AI regulation is enacted.
Sanders highlights concerns from tech figures like Elon Musk, Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, who call for stricter AI controls.
A March Pew Research poll showed most Americans are more worried than excited about AI, with only 10% more excited than concerned. Yet, political spending by AI firms and a potential AI arms race with China could hinder legislation.
The bill could shape AI regulation’s future, as lawmakers push for model certification, AI job displacement safeguards, limits on data infrastructure’s environmental impact, union labor mandates, and export restrictions on advanced chips to countries lacking similar rules.