A surge in new data center construction across the United States is fueling a significant backlash against the infrastructure that powers artificial intelligence. In response, two prominent politicians are now proposing a ban on any new data centers with peak power loads exceeding 20 megawatts.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are introducing matching legislation in their respective chambers. Their bill would halt these major projects until Congress enacts comprehensive regulations for artificial intelligence.
Senator Sanders’ office highlights warnings from several technology leaders who have expressed fears about AI and called for stricter rules or pauses in development. These figures include Elon Musk, Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Nobel Prize-winner Geoffrey Hinton.
Public sentiment appears aligned with these concerns. A recent national poll found that a majority of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI, with only ten percent of respondents saying their excitement outweighed their concern. Despite this, the prospect of the legislation passing may be slim due to massive political spending by AI companies and fears of losing a technological race with China.
The proposed legislation serves as a potential blueprint for future AI regulation. The lawmakers are calling for the U.S. government to review and certify AI models before their public release, enact protections against AI-driven job displacement, limit the environmental impact of data infrastructure, and require the use of union labor in its construction. Their bill also seeks to prohibit the export of advanced computer chips to countries that lack similar AI rules, which currently includes most nations.