Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has reiterated his calls for a federal moratorium on artificial intelligence data centers, pointing to a newly announced moratorium in Denver as a sign that concerns over the technology are gaining traction among local officials.
Sanders issued a statement Monday following a decision by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the city council to move forward with a temporary halt on new AI data centers while the city evaluates additional regulations governing their development. According to local reports, the proposed moratorium would last several months and allow officials to review rules addressing land use, energy and water consumption, zoning, and ratepayer affordability.
In his statement, Sanders said his initial proposal last December for a moratorium on AI data centers had been dismissed as a “radical, fringe and Luddite idea,” but that the recent decision in Denver reflects a growing recognition of the technology’s environmental and economic consequences.
Sanders echoed concerns from critics that large-scale data centers could strain local water supplies, drive up electricity costs, and create significant environmental impacts. He also warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence poses serious risks to American workers. “Let’s be clear,” Sanders said. “AI will likely have a catastrophic impact on the lives of working-class Americans, eliminating tens of millions of blue- and white-collar jobs in every sector of our economy.”
Sanders further cautioned that the speed at which AI is advancing raises risks beyond economic challenges, referencing warnings from some AI researchers that the technology could eventually outpace human control and lead to what he described as “potentially cataclysmic outcomes” for society.
Calling for immediate action, Sanders said a federal moratorium is necessary to allow for public debate and better accountability. “We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy, and the future of humanity,” he said. “We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue”
A duopolist, despite his claims to technically be an “independent.”