Senator Announces Bill With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Pause New AI Data Centers Until Federal Safeguards Are Set
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Summary
A senator and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled legislation to impose a moratorium on new AI data centers until national safeguards, premarket review of AI products and protections for workers and communities are in place; the proposal would also bar chip exports to countries without such protections, including China.
A senator opened a forum on artificial intelligence by warning that the nation is "at the beginning of the most profound technological revolution in world history, period," and announced legislation with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pause construction of new AI data centers until federal safeguards and product review systems are in place.
The senator characterized the technology’s growth as swift and sweeping, saying industry investments are enormous and citing a projection that four major AI companies are expected to spend roughly $670,000,000,000 this year on data centers and research and development. He quoted industry comments as evidence of risk, saying Elon Musk "has stated, and I quote, AI and robots will replace all jobs." The senator framed the legislation as a response to potential mass displacement of workers and other societal harms.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who the senator introduced to discuss the bill, said AI has already been integrated into many parts of American life and argued federal law is required to protect working people and privacy. "We must sound the alarm now," she said, adding that AI-driven surveillance and data-mining by companies such as Palantir threaten civil liberties and that some communities near data centers have seen sharply higher utility costs.
The proposed measure, as described in the forum, would: pause construction of new AI data centers until national safeguards are enacted; require government review and approval of AI products before broad release; seek to ensure economic gains "benefit ordinary Americans" rather than only company owners; and include a ban on exporting AI chips to countries without equivalent protections, "including China," according to the senator.
Speakers cited several specific concerns to justify the moratorium. The senator warned about "deep fakes" and election misinformation, the environmental cost of energy- and water-intensive data centers, and long-term job losses; Ocasio-Cortez pointed to layoffs she said totaled 54,000 last year and to cases of AI-enabled surveillance. The senator also referenced appeals by AI researchers calling for pauses on certain developments.
Reporters questioned whether slowing AI development would cede advantage to China. The senator replied that Chinese scientists share many of the same concerns and said the United States should "sit down with the leadership in China and leadership around the world to work together" to manage risks. On questions about rising electric bills near data centers, the senators and Ocasio-Cortez said administration steps "aren't working for people" and reiterated the need for federal policy to prevent communities from bearing infrastructure costs imposed by private facilities.
The announcement in the forum was described as a bill introduction and policy proposal; the transcript contains no record of a committee vote, formal referral or enacted rule during the session. The participants said the moratorium would give lawmakers time "to understand the risks, time to protect working families, time to defend our democracy, and time to ensure that this technology works for all of us."
