Bernie Sanders urged a nationwide moratorium on data centers
After Democrats won control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterms, Sen. Bernie Sanders called for a national data-center moratorium, Quartz reported. Rep. Yassamin Ansari urged a pause on advanced AI development and a ban on artificial superintelligence. Nadine Smith, president and CEO of Color of Change, said some Democrats fear a blanket freeze could hamper AI and undermine national security.
More context
After Democrats won control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Sen. Bernie Sanders called for a national moratorium on data centers, Quartz reported. Sanders said on X that Americans oppose Big Tech companies “wrecking the environment, gutting jobs and threatening humanity’s future.” He said he and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had introduced an AI data-center moratorium and that communities voted for local versions on Tuesday. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, separately wrote on X that Democrats’ first-day agenda should include a pause on advanced AI development, industry regulation and a ban on artificial superintelligence. The proposals are contested within the party: Smith said some Democrats fear a ban could slow AI’s advance and threaten national security.
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Reporting
- Quartz — Bernie Sanders demands national data center moratorium after midterms
- Firstpost — US midterm aftermath: Can Democrats put brakes on America's AI data centre boom?
- tomshardware.com — Congresswoman calls for artificial superintelligence ban after Democrats' seismic midterm sweep — demands regulation of 'out of control' industry and pause on advanced AI
Verifier’s note
Quartz reports Bernie Sanders’s post-election call for a national data-center moratorium, and Tom’s Hardware reports Yassamin Ansari’s call to pause advanced AI development. Firstpost independently reports incoming governors’ pledges to pause data-center construction after their election wins.