Sanders and AOC unveil data center moratorium bill

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday will announce legislation to pause all new data center construction nationwide until AI safeguards are in place.

Why it matters: Sanders and AOC are staking out one of the most aggressive AI policy positions yet this Congress, colliding with the industry's rapid expansion.

Driving the news: The bill would impose a national moratorium on new AI data center construction until "strong national safeguards" are in place, per a press release.

• Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, the ban on new construction could only be lifted after the passage of federal AI legislation that would establish protections for workers and consumers, prevent harm to the environment and defend civil rights, the release states.
• Sanders previously previewed the legislation ahead of a trip to California earlier this year where he met with AI company executives.

Between the lines: Data center projects could be potentially on hold for years under the Sanders-AOC bill, as Congress is far from passing any AI legislation, let alone anything the two Democrats would consider "strong."

• Politicians on both sides of the aisle will say they want to protect workers and families, but sharp disagreements on how to do that persist within and across both parties.

• Those disagreements are coming into clear view now the White House has handed over its own vision for AI regulation to Congress.

What we're watching: AI's massive energy demands are scrambling party lines, and efforts to halt construction could be an attractive political message on both sides of the aisle ahead of the midterms.