2 months ago
Amid an unprecedented power situation and nan accelerated buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, progressive lawmakers person unveiled a caller argumentation to spot a moratorium connected nan building of AI datacenters.
The policy, announced by Bernie Sanders, an independent legislator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democratic representative, connected Wednesday morning, intends to guarantee nan AI roar protects nan situation and communities, and benefits workers alternatively of harming them. A impermanent ban, nan lawmakers say, would springiness nan US authorities clip to create beardown national safeguards for AI, which is “affecting everything from our system and wellbeing to our democracy, warfare and our kids’ education”.
“AI and robotics are creating nan astir sweeping technological gyration successful nan history of humanity,” Sanders said successful an emailed statement. “The scale, scope, and velocity of that alteration is unprecedented. Congress is measurement down wherever it should beryllium successful knowing nan quality of this gyration and its impacts.”
The bill’s charismatic preamble comes arsenic calls to halt AI datacenter description person gone from nan margins to nan mainstream. Since August 2025, towns and counties crossed nan state – including successful Missouri, Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina – person passed impermanent bans connected datacenter buildout. At slightest 11 states are now considering akin policies, according to Good Jobs First, a watchdog group search economical development.
In December, more than 200 defense groups led by nan nationalist biology statement Food and Water Watch besides sent House and Senate leaders a missive calling for a national datacenter moratorium, citing concerns astir nan sector’s impacts connected energy bills and nan ambiance crisis. Sanders became nan first lawmaker to backmost their demand and it has since gained steam pinch progressive lawmakers specified arsenic Maxwell Frost, a Florida representative, and Pramila Jayapal, a Washington representative.
“A fewer months ago, erstwhile I projected a moratorium connected AI datacenters, it was perceived arsenic a radical, fringe and Luddite idea,” Sanders wrote successful a February statement. “Well, not anymore.”
Survey information shows Americans are progressively worried astir AI’s galore impacts. A June 2025 poll recovered that half of US adults are much concerned than excited astir its expanding usage successful regular life, while a December 2025 poll recovered 60% of Americans judge nan assemblage should beryllium amended regulated to limit its imaginable antagonistic effects connected society.
Voters are besides troubled astir nan effect of datacenters connected accrued inferior costs and power consumption, information shows. When a February poll asked participants to prime nan much concerning rumor successful randomized contests against datacenter-related issues, they selected inferior costs 64% of nan clip and power depletion 59% of nan time.
Datacenters’ request for monolithic quantities of h2o to cool down instrumentality has besides sparked controversy, especially successful drought-ridden areas. So person nan facilities’ ambiance effects. Though AI proponents declare nan assemblage tin thief to little emissions, an October report from greenish group Center for Biological Diversity estimates that if existent trends continue, datacenters whitethorn relationship for astir half of each US emissions from nan powerfulness assemblage that existent nationalist ambiance targets allow.
Datacenters’ energy request is besides spiking energy prices successful immoderate areas. One Bloomberg study recovered that immoderate regions pinch particularly precocious concentrations of datacenters person already seen powerfulness costs surge by 267% complete nan past 5 years.
Amid expanding interest astir these costs, nan Trump management this period hosted tech executives astatine nan White House to “pledge” that their companies will shield Americans from inferior complaint hikes tied to their datacenters’ increasing power demand. Critics opportunity nan pledges are unenforceable, and astir Americans are skeptical of them, a March canvass shows.
“We cannot beryllium backmost and let a fistful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our populist and nan early of humanity, said Sanders successful his emailed statement. “We request superior nationalist statement and antiauthoritarian oversight complete this enormously consequential issue. The clip for action is now.”
The Vermont legislator besides said astir nan request for AI safeguards connected nan Senate level connected Tuesday night. “These multi billionaires are investing successful AI and robotics because those investments will summation their wealthiness and powerfulness exponentially,” he said.
Mitch Jones, managing head of argumentation and litigation astatine Food and Water Watch, applauded nan caller proposal.
“We request a halt to nan explosive maturation of caller AI datacenter building now, because governmental and organization leaders crossed nan state person been caught wholly disconnected defender by this aggressive, profit-hungry industry,” he said. “It has yet to beryllium wished if – not really – nan manufacture tin ever run successful a mode that sufficiently protects group and nine from nan profusion of inherent hazards and harms that datacenters bring wherever they appear.”
