Vermont’s socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders believes that the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is moving too fast. He wants to “pause” the construction of the massive number of data centers being built around the country to build out the infrastructure necessary to support AI development.
Sanders isn’t primarily concerned about the worrisome AI “bubble” that many analysts see forming in the market. Nor is he worried about the $7 trillion in data center investments propping up the U.S. economy under Donald Trump.
Nope. Sanders seems to believe that “data center investment will generate large profits, produce technological innovations, and drive economy-wide productivity growth,” writes Christian Britschigi of Reason.com.
Sanders posted a video to Instagram calling for a federal moratorium on data center construction until we can give “democracy a chance to catch up with the transformative changes that we are witnessing and make sure the benefits of these technologies work for all of us.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion. Is this a great country, or what?
When Sanders mentions “democracy,” he means “politicians.” “Democracy” can’t do a damn thing about AI. Neither can politicians, of course, but that won’t stop them from trying.
The U.S. is now engaged in the most important “race” of recent history, perhaps in all of human history. While the race to build the atomic bomb was vital, winning that race didn’t matter as much as winning the race to develop an artificial general intelligence (AGI) model. That’s where the mother lode is, and the race to achieve it will define the next few decades.
Once the atomic genie was out of the bottle, it was inevitable that any reasonably advanced industrial society would possess it. However, the first nation to crack the AGI code will have an enormous initial advantage and will have a head start on exploiting the new technology.
What change does Sanders have in succeeding in his effort to get Congress to “pause” AI data center investment?
Given general bipartisan support for “winning the AI race” and the amount of growth being generated by data center investment, it’s unlikely that any such moratorium will come to pass.
The fact Sanders is proposing it anyway is reflects just how much anxiety he and other members of the socialist left feel whenever capitalism is working.
Whether it’s driverless cars or choices in deodorant brands, Sanders cannot stop worrying and learn to love it when capitalists make productive investments and give consumers what they want.
Any economic growth that is not planned by the bureaucrats and approved by the electorate is inherently suspicious and perhaps downright malicious.
Sanders’ call for a data center moratorium is to prevent investment in this infrastructure from yielding productive fruit.
Britschigi claims that Sanders “has found a veto point that could be used to kneecap the AI industry or to force it to pay out to politically connected interests.” Tech giants are already paying out to “politically connected interests.” The tech giants are throwing $200 million into the 2026 midterm elections to make sure Congress maintains a “hands off” approach to AI.
However, the threat of increased congressional scrutiny may not be a bad idea.
Sanders has half of a good idea. We don’t need a “pause” or a “ban” on data center construction. We need responsible adults to monitor what’s happening industry-wide and create guardrails and perhaps some stop signs to ensure that no harm comes to society from overzealous tech lords who are enamored of the power inherent in developing AI and are racing ahead without giving enough thought to the consequences.
We don’t have to worry about “Skynet.” We should be far more concerned about bad actors using the enormous capabilities of AI to launch devastating cyberattacks or compromise national security through automated warfare, or erode individual privacy and consolidate power in the hands of a few unaccountable elites.
Bernie Sanders’ idea of “safety” is a chastity belt for AI. What we need is not a total shutdown but a set of practical guardrails that prevent misuse by bad actors without stifling American progress.
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