Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez introduce a bill to pause US data center construction

File this 1 nether "things that might person a changeable aft nan midterms." On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced nan Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act. The bill would require an contiguous region connected information halfway building until circumstantial caller regulations are passed.

The authorities intends to reside nan problem that AI is advancing faster than Washington's regulatory consequence (basically none) has kept pace. Despite its benefits, nan exertion poses sedate threats to nan occupation market and nan environment. Rapidly advancing deepfakes could soon time off group incapable to find truth from fiction. (That is, much than online propaganda already has.) AI besides makes mass surveillance easier than ever, perchance giving unelected tech leaders unfettered power complete society.

"Last twelvemonth alone, AI was responsible for complete 54,000 layoffs nationwide," Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said successful a property conference. "And erstwhile we talk astir those jobs, it's not conscionable a number. These are industries. These are communities. These are families... All of this harm has occurred not successful spite of, but because of, nan absence of national authorities to modulate AI."

The measure would instruction not only an contiguous region connected caller information halfway building but besides connected nan upgrading of existing ones. This moratorium would only beryllium lifted aft 1 aliases much laws were passed to supply national oversight of AI products.

First, AI products would request to beryllium proven safe for humanity. (That includes not conscionable beingness safety, but besides areas for illustration civilian rights, privateness and nationalist health.) The wealthiness AI generates would request to beryllium shared pinch nan American people, not conscionable nan billionaire tech bros pulling nan strings. Protections would request to beryllium successful spot to safeguard against wide unemployment. (Increasingly, companies are flat-out admitting that their layoffs are due to AI automation.)

The authorities would besides require early information centers to beryllium environmentally safe. They would request to debar expanding energy aliases different inferior bills for Americans. AI information centers would person to create national jobs "with beardown labour standards." Communities affected by them would beryllium empowered to o.k. aliases cull their building aliases upgrades. And nary authorities subsidies could beryllium provided for them.

"A moratorium will springiness america time," Sen. Sanders said. "Time to understand nan risks. Time to protect moving families. Time to take sides our democracy. And clip to guarantee that exertion useful for each of us, not conscionable nan few."

On nan 1 hand, these could beryllium celebrated proposals. In a December poll, 60 percent of Americans — including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents — said they supported much AI regulation.

However, successful Washington's existent environment, well, don’t get your hopes up. AI companies are pouring tremendous sums of money into campaigns for some governmental parties. The manufacture spent astatine slightest $83 million successful national elections past twelvemonth — and that was an off-year without nationalist elections. And of course, anti-regulatory Republicans presently power nan presidency, some chambers of Congress and (essentially) nan Supreme Court.

So, fat chance it goes anyplace correct now. But depending connected really nan 2026 midterms (and beyond) shingle out… who knows? One tin dream, anyway.