A proposal before the U.S. Congress seeks to suspend the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres until stronger safeguards are put in place.
Two progressive lawmakers in the United States are pushing for a moratorium on the construction of new AI data centres, citing concerns over risks to workers, civil liberties, and the environment.
The legislation, unveiled on Wednesday by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, would pause new developments until national protections are established.
The proposed safeguards would address concerns around AI’s impact on jobs, privacy, democratic processes, and environmental sustainability.
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, said lawmakers are lagging behind the rapid development of artificial intelligence and warned against allowing tech billionaires to make unchecked decisions.
He called for stronger democratic oversight, insisting that urgent action is needed to regulate the sector.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing New York, warned that the absence of federal regulation has already led to harms including mass surveillance and the spread of explicit deepfakes targeting women and children.
She said Congress has a responsibility to act in the public interest by pausing expansion until adequate protections are in place.
The proposal comes amid growing opposition in the U.S. to the rapid rollout of data centres, with critics raising concerns over their heavy consumption of water and electricity and their impact on local communities.
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