Proposed Bernie Sanders Legislation on AI Safety Aims to Stop Data Center Development

Across the United States, numerous cities and counties have implemented local moratoriums on data center development in response to community concerns. This year, at least a dozen state legislatures—including those in Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—have also proposed state-level moratoriums.

However, Sanders’s bill represents a notable shift from many existing legislations. It not only addresses the environmental and societal impacts associated with data centers but also encompasses AI safety broadly. Since announcing the bill in December, Sanders has voiced substantial concerns regarding the potential risks AI poses to society, particularly for workers.

Mitch Jones, policy and litigation director at Food and Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group that has consulted Sanders’s office on the moratorium, states, “It makes sense to me that his bill is going to focus primarily on that aspect.” Food and Water Watch also organized the progressive groups’ letter sent in December.

Polling by Pew shows that Democrats tend to have a negative perception of data centers, a sentiment echoed not just by national progressives. Prior to Sanders’s opposition, some notable Republican and MAGA figures like representative Thomas Massie, senator Josh Hawley, and former representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene had already raised concerns regarding data center expansion. Recently, Hawley and Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal proposed legislation to shield consumers from electricity price increases tied to data centers. Furthermore, in December, Steve Bannon, a prominent anti-AI figure in Washington, aired a segment on his War Room podcast titled “Data Centers Are Devouring Public Land.”

Many state-level bills have been backed by Democratic lawmakers, with Food and Water Watch contributing to the New York proposal. Some states, like Oklahoma, saw bills introduced by Republicans, while Georgia’s legislation had support from both parties.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been particularly vocal about the potential risks associated with data centers and artificial intelligence. “I don’t think there’s very many people who want to have higher energy bills just so some chatbot can corrupt some 13-year-old kid online,” he stated during a February AI roundtable. In December, DeSantis supported legislation aimed at creating a consumer bill of rights to safeguard against potential AI risks, which includes measures prohibiting minors from interacting with AI chatbots without parental consent, and a proposal to cut subsidies for tech firms and prevent data centers from hiking electricity rates. Although the AI bill of rights passed the state Senate, it ultimately failed in the House.

Both the White House and major tech firms have recognized that the expansion of data centers carries adverse public perceptions. In March, leaders from leading data center and AI companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Google, convened at the White House to sign a nonbinding agreement aimed at ensuring data centers cover “the full cost of their energy and infrastructure” and safeguard consumers from price increases. “Data centers … they need some PR help,” remarked president Donald Trump during the event. Experts have indicated to WIRED that the agreement signed was largely symbolic, with key goals—like requiring data centers to shoulder any additional costs to customer bills—largely beyond the control of either the White House or tech companies.

“A moratorium would restrict internet capacity, hinder essential services, eliminate hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs, diminish billions in local tax revenue, and increase costs for American families and small businesses,” stated Cy McNeill, senior director of federal affairs at the Data Center Coalition, an industry organization, in an email to WIRED. McNeill emphasized that the industry “remains committed to collaborating with communities, local officials, state and federal policymakers, and the Administration to ensure the responsible growth of this industry while protecting families and businesses.”