Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed a national moratorium on data center construction Tuesday, likely becoming the first member of Congress to do so.
Sanders, a progressive who caucuses with Democrats, cited concerns about the unregulated growth of artificial intelligence and its impacts on employment and children’s development. Data centers are the prime infrastructure required to train and expand AI.
“This moratorium will give democracy a chance to catch up, and ensure that the benefits of these technologies work for all of us, not just the wealthiest people on Earth,” Sanders said in a video on social media.
In endorsing the moratorium, Sanders did not mention the climate impacts of data centers. The AI infrastructure requires massive amounts of power and so far has mostly relied on fossil fuel sources.